In Indian-administered Kashmir, residents living near the Line of Control have been facing a tough choice during the recent outbreak of conflict: to shelter in place or to evacuate. DW hears from villagers who chose to stay and some who chose to go.
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00:00When we heard about the tension, we kept the tension in 10 days and kept the tension in our Kampur.
00:18It could be a lot of tension in any time.
00:23Bunkers like this one provide a lifeline for Kashmiris living near the line of control,
00:35a de facto border dividing Indian and Pakistan-administered parts of Kashmir.
00:40Many of the bunkers here were built in response to previous conflicts in the heavily militarized
00:44region.
00:46The contested territory has borne the brunt of hostilities between the two nuclear-armed
00:50neighbors for decades.
00:51During the most recent outbreak of fighting, bunkers such as these provided a place of
00:58safety from the artillery and drone attacks in Jammu and Kashmir.
01:21Latif has made sure to stock his bunker with essentials and supplies for the entire family.
01:28Latif's bunker means he feels safe enough to stay here.
01:35Latif's bunker means he feels safe enough to stay here.
01:39even during intense fighting.
01:54But his experience is the exception.
01:56During the latest outbreak of conflict, nearly 90 percent of people in the Uri Administrative
02:05District fled and were evacuated to other parts of Indian-administered Kashmir and camps for
02:09safety.
02:23No one is inevitable.
02:26No one is in peace.
02:28No one is in peace, no one is in peace.
02:31No one is screaming.
02:32The time is in peace, no one is in peace.
02:35As of May 12, 2025, a U.S. brokered ceasefire between Pakistan and India
03:04two days earlier, has appeared to halt.
03:07Authorities on both sides say there has been largely calm along the line of control and
03:12that some residents are returning home.
03:19Latif remains sceptical.
03:21He plans to keep his emergency bunker well stocked far into the future.
03:25In 2011, as we were in the city, we thought that we will not have to stop.
03:32We were working with the world and working with the work of the world.
03:38We had to stop and stop and stop and stop.
03:43We will stop and stop and stop and stop.