Revisiting the Past: How Recent India-Pakistan Gunfire Rekindles Fears of Conflict

New Delhi: Gunfire has echoed for ten straight nights along the border between India and Pakistan. This tense situation reminds people like 50-year-old farmer Bashir Dar of tragic memories. Back in 2020, during a similar conflict, a mortar shell killed his wife in their village near Balkote. “It was instant,” Dar recalls, holding a picture of her. Now, he huddles with his four children, listening to the distant sounds of gunfire that haunt his nights.

Relations between the two countries are worse than ever. India recently accused Pakistan of supporting a deadly attack in Kashmir that targeted civilians, resulting in the deaths of 26 people, mostly Hindus. Pakistan has denied these claims. Indian police have issued wanted posters for suspects linked to the attack, alleging they are part of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba.

According to the Indian army, troops on both sides have exchanged fire nearly every night since late April. They describe this as “unprovoked small arms fire” from Pakistan. Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military has countered these claims, accusing India of violating previous ceasefire agreements.

The conflict over Kashmir goes back to the independence of India and Pakistan in 1947. The region has been divided ever since, with both nations claiming it entirely. An insurgency against Indian rule began in 1989, leading to the deaths of tens of thousands.

Mansoor Ahmed, a 38-year-old government worker, recently took time off to prepare his bunker, built at a cost of around 200,000 rupees (about $2,300). “I cleaned it and stocked it for the first time since 2021,” he said, referencing a time of relative calm. Others without bunkers are fleeing to safer areas, like Baramulla. “Six families in my neighborhood have left. They asked us to look after their homes and animals,” said truck driver Mohammad Ibrahim.

In villages near the conflicts, residents have expressed their fears. Officials have visited, checking on community bunkers. “There are only six bunkers for about 120 families,” shared a young villager who preferred to remain anonymous. “These bunkers can only hold 15 people each, and many are poorly built.” In Churunda, a community bunker has thick walls, but the floor is muddy and unwelcoming. Residents are glued to their mobile phones for news, living in constant fear of escalating violence. “We just want peace,” a local woman voiced. “We want our children to go to school and live without fear.”

The ongoing situation sheds light on the deep psychological impacts this conflict has on families. Recent surveys indicate that nearly 70% of residents in conflict zones report high levels of anxiety, highlighting the urgent need for peace. As social media trends show more people demanding peaceful resolutions, the community’s call for safety and stability becomes ever more pressing.

To learn more about the historical context of this entrenched conflict and its effect on the local populace, you can visit [UN Reports on Kashmir](https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/kashmir/index.html).

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