Amid pounding artillery fire, Amarjeet Singh rushed to the ground floor of his house, seeking safety from the projectiles overhead. At that moment, a mortar shell fired from Pakistan tore through his home in the border district of Poonch in Indian-administered Kashmir.
Splinters from the munition punctured his lungs and the 50 year old later died in hospital, his nephew Atinder Pal Singh told The National.
He is among 16 people, including four children, who have been killed since Wednesday in intense fire that has bombarded Indian towns along the Line of Control, the de facto border in Kashmir.
The violence began when New Delhi on Wednesday carried out air strikes against Pakistan in retaliation for a gun attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that India blamed on Islamabad.
“We ran barefoot to the hospital," said the nephew. "He was talking till his last breath but his lungs were punctured and he died despite two surgeries."
Amarjeet Singh’s elder brother Surjan, 61, was also wounded in one ear. “The shelling continued all night,” he said. “There are cracks on all the walls of my house.”
A sense of jubilation has gripped many parts of India after New Delhi carried out the air strikes. Many Indians see the missile strikes on "terror groups" as a befitting reply to the attack on tourists in the Himalayan hill station of Pahalgam.
But in border regions, fear and panic has gripped residents. Hundreds have fled their homes on the Indian side while others have hidden in bunkers. A Sikh temple was attacked and a teacher at an Islamic seminary was killed.
The Singh family are from Kuma Khan village in Poonch, the worst-hit district in Jammu region, but shelling has also been reported in the Kashmir towns of Rajouri, Uri and Baramulla.
Atinder Singh said he had never seen such an intense round of fire and pleaded with the government not to go to war.
“People living in the Indian cities are watching this on TV but we are facing it. My cousin’s daughter is in class four and son is in class eight — who will think of them?" he said.
"Seventy per cent of Poonch’s population have left the town. Not a single shop is open, we needed water bottles but couldn’t get them.
“We request that the government stop this war and let us live peacefully. No one in Poonch has slept for the last three days.”
Similar sentiments were echoed by Dr Sarfaraz Mir, who lost his 10-year-old twin cousins Urva Fatima and Zain Ali in the violence.
“The mortar hit the roof of their house and splinters hit my cousins – they died on the spot,” Dr Mir told The National.
“What happened in Pahalgam was wrong and India has already avenged the killings, but this must stop now. But what Pakistan is doing is also wrong. War has never been a solution.”
India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed nations, have fought three wars over Kashmir, the last in 1999 which lasted two months. More than 500 Indian soldiers were killed, while estimates of Pakistani losses range from 400 to about 4,000.
There have been regular skirmishes and cross-border fire at the border since then but the nations agreed to a ceasefire in 2021, which was broken after the April 22 attack on tourists.
In the Pahalgam ambush, 26 people were killed by armed gunmen in the Himalayan picnic spot in the Kashmir valley.
The Resistance Front, an extremist group, claimed responsibility. New Delhi accuses Islamabad of backing militant groups in Kashmir, a charge denied by Pakistan.
Anas Hamdani, 31, who lives in Karachi, said he fears an all-out war with mass loss of life. His niece was injured in an explosion outside her college on Thursday in Rawalpindi, a city about 40km from the border that houses Pakistan’s military headquarters. The Pakistani military has suggested an Indian drone was involved.
“We are worried," Mr Hamdani told The National. "I was talking to my niece, she is at a hospital in Rawalpindi. She told me that a bomb exploded just 30 minutes ago near her college and that they were running home.
“We have lost a seven-year-old boy in Kashmir. By what number will this be multiplied if this war escalates? It will not be Pakistan or India who win – it will be humanity that loses. We pray that both sides act sensibly and save precious lives.”
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
Ant-Man and the Wasp
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas
Three stars
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Company%20profile
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Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
RACE CARD
4pm Al Bastakiya – Listed (TB) $150,000 (Dirt) 1,900m
4.35pm Dubai City Of Gold – Group 2 (TB) $228,000 (Turf) 2,410m
5.10pm Mahab Al Shimaal – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,200m
5.45pm Burj Nahaar – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (D) 1,600m
6.20pm Jebel Hatta – Group 1 (TB) $260,000 (T) 1,800m
6.55pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 – Group 1 (TB) $390,000 (D) 2,000m
7.30pm Nad Al Sheba – Group 3 (TB) $228,000 (T) 1,200m
RESULTS
Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18
Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
3 Gelete Burka (ETH) 2:24:07
4 Chaltu Tafa (ETH) 2:25:09
5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14
Leaderboard
63 - Mike Lorenzo-Vera (FRA)
64 - Rory McIlroy (NIR)
66 - Jon Rahm (ESP)
67 - Tom Lewis (ENG), Tommy Fleetwood (ENG)
68 - Rafael Cabrera-Bello (ESP), Marcus Kinhult (SWE)
69 - Justin Rose (ENG), Thomas Detry (BEL), Francesco Molinari (ITA), Danny Willett (ENG), Li Haotong (CHN), Matthias Schwab (AUT)
Profile
Company name: Marefa Digital
Based: Dubai Multi Commodities Centre
Number of employees: seven
Sector: e-learning
Funding stage: Pre-seed funding of Dh1.5m in 2017 and an initial seed round of Dh2m in 2019
Investors: Friends and family
Meydan racecard:
6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 (PA) Group 1 | US$75,000 (Dirt) | 2,200 metres
7.05pm: UAE 1000 Guineas (TB) Listed | $250,000 (D) | 1,600m
7.40pm: Meydan Classic Trial (TB) Conditions | $100,000 (Turf) | 1,400m
8.15pm: Al Shindagha Sprint (TB) Group 3 | $200,000 (D) | 1,200m
8.50pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (D) | 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) | $175,000 (T) | 2,000m
10pm: Handicap (TB) | $135,000 (T) | 1,600m
ORDER OF PLAY ON SHOW COURTS
Centre Court - 4pm (UAE)
Gael Monfils (15) v Kyle Edmund
Karolina Pliskova (3) v Magdalena Rybarikova
Dusan Lajovic v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 - 4pm
Adam Pavlasek v Novak Djokovic (2)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Gilles Simon
Angelique Kerber (1) v Kirsten Flipkens
Court 2 - 2.30pm
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Marcos Baghdatis
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Christina McHale
Milos Raonic (6) v Mikhail Youzhny
Tsvetana Pironkova v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
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