'When my house was hit ...': Ex-Army commando recounts night of shelling by Pakistan in Uri

Former Army commando Havildar Mohd Khan's house in Uri, located in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, was severely damaged on Wednesday when Pakistani forces fired artillery shells across the Line of Control (LoC).

The shelling by Pakistan was reportedly a reaction to India’s overnight military operation, named Operation Sindoor. Pakistan targeted the civilian population residing near the Line of Control (LOC), killing at least 12 people and leaving 40 injured, The Indian Express reported.

This action was in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam last month by the Lashkar-e-Taiba group, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.

“There was some firing initially at around 1 am. At first it was sporadic and distant. Then, by 2.30 am it became louder and the artillery shelling began," Havildar Khan, who once served in the elite 6 Para Special Forces was quoted in an NDTV report.

“When my house was hit, I quickly got my wife and children out. Even though the firing hadn’t stopped, I told them to lie down on the ground to stay safe. I also lay down,” he added.

"Then the whole house began shaking," he said, pointing to damaged sections of his house.

According to the media reports, the ‘Operation Sindoor’ carried out by the Indian military killed 70 terrorists and injured around 60 others. The targets were linked to three major terror outfits, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Hizbul Mujahideen.

Pakistan later confirmed that some civilians had died in the Indian strikes. India expressed regret over the loss of innocent lives but stressed that all targets were carefully chosen based on strong intelligence and that the timing of the strikes, early morning, was meant to avoid civilian casualties.

India also claimed to have solid proof that the terror attack in Pahalgam was planned with the help of Pakistan’s Army and intelligence network. The Indian operation began at 1.15 am and lasted just 25 minutes. During this time, advanced weapons like the SCALP missile and HAMMER bombs were used in 24 precision strikes.