15 May 2017

News Report: India Evacuates Almost 1,000 Civilians Amid Border Clashes With Pakistan

Authorities of India's Jammu and Kashmir state have evacuated about 1,000 people living in the areas close to the Indian-Pakistani border due to the clashes and shelling in the state's Rajouri district, the deputy commissioner of Rajouri said Sunday.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — The clashes between India and Pakistan in Rahouri along the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir started on Saturday.

"Risking their lives officials and police evacuated 996 people from various shelling hit villages and shifted them to various camps established by district administration where facilities of ration, cooking, drinking water, sanitation, first aid and proper accommodation have been provided," Shahid Iqbal Choudgary said, as quoted by the PTI news agency.

He added that local authorities had made operational three camps for the evacuees and prepared 28 else in the context of expected evacuation.

Islamabad and New Delhi have been both laying claims to Jammu and Kashmir since India obtained independence from the United Kingdom and was partitioned into two states, namely India and Pakistan, in 1947. The tensions in the region have escalated in recent months, after Indian security services had killed a leader of a local separatist group.

This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.