Poonch, J-K: Bomb-disposal teams of the Indian Army, working with Jammu & Kashmir Police, have safely destroyed 42 live shells left behind after last week’s cross-border bombardment by Pakistan.

The unexploded ordnance was scattered across the border villages of Jhullas, Salotri, Dharati and Salani in Poonch district, where incoming fire on 10 May killed at least 12 civilians and injured 42 others. Army engineers cordoned off the impact sites, drilled precise cavities into each 155 mm shell, packed counter-charges, and carried out staggered controlled blasts through Sunday afternoon. No further damage to life or property was reported.

An Army spokesperson said the clearance proved “our continued commitment to safeguarding civilians in conflict zones and restoring normalcy along the Line of Control.” Local police kept residents behind safety perimeters while teams worked in 40 °C heat to neutralise the ageing, highly unstable munitions.

The clean-up follows a bilateral understanding reached on 10 May that halted four days of heavy fire traded across the LoC after the 22 April Pahalgam terror strike. Army headquarters reiterated that the cease-fire is “open-ended and without an expiry date,” although patrols remain on high alert.

J-K’s Lieutenant-Governor administration has already disbursed ₹10 lakh ex-gratia payments to next-of-kin of those killed in the shelling and is processing relief for the wounded and for damaged homes. Rural-works officials said reconstruction of cratered roads and irrigation channels in the four villages will begin once explosive-ordnance teams declare all fields clear.