Punjab border villagers move to safer areas amid rising tensions

Residents of border villages in Punjab are relocating to safer areas due to escalating tensions between India and Pakistan. Villagers express concern over the tense situation, with 12-14 villages evacuating as a precautionary measure.

Residents of border villages in Punjab have been moving to safer locations amidst heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.  Speaking to ANI, Bhupinder Singh, who is bringing his relatives' belongings to safer locations from border areas, stated that the situation near the border is tense and that around 12-14 villages are evacuating. 

"I'm taking my friends' and relatives' belongings. Their village is near the border, and I am taking their things to my village. They live in a border area and are in danger in their village at night. The situation is tense there. Most people are taking their belongings and evacuating the village. They (relatives) called me and I went to take their belongings on my tractor. There are almost 12-14 villages that are being evacuated. Villages will be evacuated because Pakistan has attacked 2-3 times. People are moving to safer locations," Singh said. 

Another villager also echoed the same sentiments. Gurnam Singh told ANI, "The situation is tense. I cannot sleep the whole night... People are evacuating and moving to safer locations." 

Tensions have been escalating between Pakistan and India after Pakistan caused a string of actions against India, which were effectively responded to by the Indian armed forces. 

On Saturday in New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasised that the actions being undertaken by Pakistan against India are being seen as "escalatory" and "provocative" in nature. He made the remarks during a press briefing, where proofs of Pakistan's escalatory and provocative actions were provided alongside exposing the lies being peddled by Pakistan.

While speaking to the media, the Foreign Secretary said, “Pakistan's actions constituted provocation, escalation. In response, India defended and reacted in a responsible and measured fashion.”

In a decisive response to Pakistan's aggressive actions along the western border and Line of Control (LoC), the Indian Armed Forces on Saturday targeted critical Pakistani military installations, including technical facilities, command and control centres, radar sites, and ammunition strongholds.

Precision strikes were carried out on Pakistani military targets in Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur, and Chunian, as well as radar sites at Pasrur and Sialkot aviation bases, using air-launched weapons from Indian fighter aircraft.