'We fear Pakistan will retaliate': Families flee border villages post Operation Sindoor

A property damaged after heavy firing and shelling by Pakistan military overnight across the Line of Control and International Border, in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (PTI Photo)

Families in villages along the India-Pakistan border have begun moving women, children the elderly to safer locations, fearing a rapid escalation in hostilities following recent military operations. The exodus is most visible in Punjab’s Amritsar and Ferozepur districts, where communities like Daoke, surrounded by Pakistan on three sides, are seeing tractor-trolleys loaded with belongings heading away from the border, The Tribune reported.

Villagers cite the tense situation after the Indian Army’s ‘Operation Sindoor’ and concerns over possible retaliation from Pakistan as the main reasons for the precautionary evacuation. “The situation in our village turned critical following Operation Sindoor. We fear Pakistan will retaliate,” said Jagtar Singh, a resident of Ferozepur district, as quoted by TOI. While local authorities have not yet issued formal evacuation orders, many residents are taking no chances, recalling the perils faced during previous conflicts.

Kashmir Singh, 70, from Daoke, remembered the 1965 and 1971 wars, noting that only men plan to stay behind to assist the armed forces if conflict erupts. “As of now, the situation is still under control, but we would be shifting women and children to safer places,” he told The Tribune, adding that the Border Security Force (BSF) and police have not yet mandated a move.

The disruption is widespread. Schools have been closed in Amritsar, Gurdaspur Pathankot grocery shops in Amritsar are witnessing panic buying as residents stock up on essentials. The Union government has also indefinitely suspended the Kartarpur Corridor, halting pilgrim travel to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan, with officials at Dera Baba Nanak advising pilgrims to return home, as per the TOI report.

Neighbouring states are equally on alert. Rajasthan’s border districts have reportedly seen heightened security, school closures increased patrols, while Gujarat’s coastal regions are under intensified surveillance by marine and paramilitary forces. In Sriganganagar, farmers have been told to avoid border areas villagers in Suigam have been asked to switch off lights at night.