Residents in Mendhar village wake up to terrifying assault

(MENAFN) In the peaceful village of Mendhar, located in the mountainous Poonch district near the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan, residents were woken up to a terrifying assault on the night of May 7, 2025. Intense shelling from Pakistan shattered their tranquility, killing at least 16 civilians, including women and children, and injuring 44 others. The night of chaos and devastation was described as the worst shelling in decades.

Sukhchain Singh, a local farmer, recalled the horror of shells landing everywhere, destroying homes, killing children, and igniting fires. "We didn’t know what to do," he said, grieving the loss of his neighbors, Amreek Singh and Ranjit Singh, who were among those killed. The residents, shaken by the violence, now live in constant fear for their lives.

The assault was in retaliation for India's ‘Operation Sindoor,’ which targeted terrorist facilities in Pakistan in response to an attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Kashmir, that claimed 26 lives. Tensions between the two nations had escalated following the deadly attack, with India blaming Pakistan for supporting militant activity in Kashmir—a claim Pakistan has denied.

Tahira Bano, a local resident, expressed sorrow for the innocent lives lost, especially the children. She and her family were evacuated to a government school in Poonch town, which was also affected by the shelling. Locals described the situation as "like a war zone," with the shelling continuing for six hours, leaving residents terrified and caught off guard.

The violence follows India’s military operation against what it described as nine “terror bases” in Pakistan, while Islamabad responded by claiming that 31 civilians were killed in an Indian airstrike. The escalating conflict has drawn international calls for de-escalation between the two nuclear-armed countries.

Ajaz Jan, a local legislator, said that the shelling had devastated the entire town. Videos from residents showed ruined houses, bodies of children being carried away, and smoke billowing into the sky. The civilians continue to bear the brunt of the growing violence, seeking shelter and mourning the destruction of their homes and loved ones.

Abdul Salam Khatana, another resident, expressed disbelief at the devastation, lamenting the loss of a once peaceful village. "It takes years to build a life on the mountain, and now everything has turned to ashes," he said, adding that the community longed for peace amid the ongoing turmoill.

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