Rajouri, May 20 -- Locals in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir were the first to be in the line of fire during the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, which has come to a pause after both countries reached an agreement of cessation of hostilities.

However, the destruction caused by shelling from the Pakistani side has wreaked havoc in the lives of people living in villages near the border areas, with their houses destroyed or in a dilapidated condition, becoming uninhabitable.

Mohammad, an elder of a village in Rajouri, said that his entire house came down after shells hit the building. He appealed to the government to provide his family with tents and other assistance since they have nowhere to go.

"It was morning when...