- Title: INDIA: Thousands take refuge as India-Pakistan fighting intensifies
- Date: 8th October 2014
- Summary: SAMBA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 8, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) BUILDING EXTERIOR WITH BULLET HOLES WALL SHOWING BULLET HOLES BLOOD STAINED FLOOR WALL WITH BULLET MARKS BROKEN GLASS PANE ROOM SCATTERED WITH WORSHIP MATERIAL JAMMU, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 8, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) JAMMU DIVISIONAL COMMISSIONER, SHANTMANU, SAYING: "We have made arrangements for the people of the border villages to be shifted to places like government buildings or private banquet halls. In Jammu district 10 such camps have been arranged in which around 3000 people are staying now. Similarly, in Samba, seven camps have been arranged and in Kathua also seven camps have been arranged. Apart from this, we have identified schools, colleges, community halls and banquet halls which will be used if required." SAMBA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 8, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) TWO WOMEN ON HORSE AND CART MORE OF WOMEN LEAVING ON HORSE AND CART JAMMU, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 8, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) INSPECTOR GENERAL OF INDIA'S PARAMILITARY BORDER SECURITY FORCE (BSF), JAMMU FRONTIER, RAKESH KUMAR, SAYING: "From the time firing along the border started, we have beefed up security at the LoC (Line of Control) and the IB (International Border). There is a lot of other work like taking care of the casualties and the injured. We are also shifting the people to safer areas and the injured to the hospitals. We are also giving protection to the vacated villages. The infiltration routes are also being taken care of." SAMBA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 8, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) INJURED BOY BEING PUT ON BED MAN IN BLOOD-SOAKED SHIRT BEING TREATED SAMBA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 7, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) PEOPLE ENTERING HALL SECURITY PERSONNEL MORE OF PEOPLE ENTERING HALL PEOPLE SEATED, SOME WEARING BLANKETS WOMEN AND CHILDREN ON FLOOR (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) VILLAGER, SATISH PAL, SAYING: "BSF personnel had told us that by evening there can be cross-border firing. But we had thought that there would be small firing and stayed in our homes. But by 6 pm (1230 GMT) in the evening heavy firing started, everyone fled to Samba." KATHUA, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 7, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) PEOPLE GETTING OFF BUS PEOPLE WALKING TOWARDS SHELTER AT A SCHOOL MORE OF PEOPLE GETTING OFF THE BUS AND GOING INSIDE THE SCHOOL MEN STANDING OUTSIDE SCHOOL PEOPLE SEATED INSIDE SCHOOL WOMAN HOLDING CHILD MAN DISTRIBUTING FOOD DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF KATHUA DISTRICT, DOCTOR SHAHID IQBAL, STANDING WITH OTHER POLICE OFFICIALS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) KATHUA DISTRICT DEPUTY COMMISSIONER, DOCTOR SHAHID IQBAL, SAYING: "About 1500 people are here in camps and arrangements have been made for them. The situation at the border is tense and people are being evacuated from all the villages." MENDHAR, JAMMU AND KASHMIR, INDIA (OCTOBER 7, 2014) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI - NO ACCESS BBC) BORDER AREA FENCES AT BORDER AREA VARIOUS OF ARMED SECURITY PERSONNEL BORDER AREA
- Embargoed: 23rd October 2014 22:22
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA5LXBJL45TLJRRBLM3K6MTOWTN
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Five civilians were killed and thousands took refuge in camps in the disputed region of Kashmir on Wednesday (October 8) after some of the most intense fighting between nuclear-armed neighbours Pakistan and India in a decade.
A total of nine Pakistani and eight Indian civilians have been killed since fighting erupted more than week ago in the mostly Muslim Himalayan region. Kashmir is claimed by both countries and has been a major focus of tension in South Asia.
Some 18,000 Indian civilians have fled their homes in the lowlands around Jammu to escape the fighting, taking refuge in schools and relief camps.
"We have made arrangements for the people of the border villages to be shifted to places like government buildings or private banquet halls. In Jammu district 10 such camps have been arranged in which around 3000 people are staying now. Similarly, in Samba, seven camps have been arranged and in Kathua also seven camps have been arranged. Apart from this, we have identified schools, colleges, community halls and banquet halls which will be used if required," said Shantmanu, the Jammu Divisional Commissioner.
A senior official with the border security force said humanitarian work was unfolding alongside the military operation.
"From the time firing along the border started, we have beefed up security at the LoC (Line of Control) and the IB (International Border). There is a lot of other work like taking care of the casualties and the injured. We are also shifting the people to safer areas and the injured to the hospitals. We are also giving protection to the vacated villages. The infiltration routes are also being taken care of," said Inspector General Rakesh Kumar, with the Jammu Frontier of India's paramilitary Border Security Force.
One displaced villager, Satish Pal, said the intensity of the firing had been unexpected.
"BSF (border security force) personnel had told us that by evening there can be cross-border firing. But we had thought that there would be small firing and stayed in our homes. But by 6 pm (1230 GMT) in the evening heavy firing started, everyone fled to Samba," said Pal.
In the Kathua District, the humanitarian effort is also scaling up.
"About 1500 people are here in camps and arrangements have been made for them. The situation at the border is tense and people are being evacuated from all the villages," said the Kathua District deputy commissioner, Dr Shahid Iqbal.
Both India and Pakistan accuse each other of targeting civilians and unprovoked violations of a border truce that has largely held since 2003.
While exchanges of sporadic fire are common along the de facto border dividing the region, the number of civilian deaths is unusual. Two Indian civilians were killed on Wednesday and three Pakistani civilians died overnight, authorities said Wednesday morning.
A senior official with the border security force said Indian forces had retaliated for machine gun and mortar attacks on about 60 positions along a more than 200-km (125-mile) stretch of the border on Wednesday. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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