Poonch, June 29 -- Nestled amid lush mountains along the Line of Control, the picturesque town of Poonch that bore the brunt of the worst cross-border shelling from Pakistan in five decades during Operation Sindoor between May 7 and 10, is slowly healing as residents pick up pieces of their shattered lives.

Of the 16 civilians killed in the Pakistani shelling in Jammu and Kashmir, 13 were from Poonch. They included four children. Almost two months on, 90% of families that had fled the town are back home but fear lurks as damaged houses bear mute testimony to the shelling. With the ceasefire holding, the residents want the administration to focus on buttressing bunkers on priority over other projects.

"Jaan hai to jehan hai (If there's l...