BENGALURU - Is war upon us? This is a question many Indians are asking.

A sense of foreboding grips much of the country, as military strikes across the border with Pakistan trigger fears of larger-scale military confrontation, something that many young Indians have not had to think about for decades.

There are few answers, as misinformation in both mainstream and social media obfuscates reality. Panic is slowly building, even as hostilities between the two nuclear powers have been escalating since May 7. 

However, to the relief of many, US president Donald Trump announced on May 10 that India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire. Citizens watch closely for hostilities to cease, and the Indian government to make an official announcement.

Many Indians who spoke to The Straits Times on condition of anonymity or gave only their first names did so amid a charged atmosphere, with some demanding a violent response to Pakistan’s alleged hand in the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22 that killed 26 civilians, and others calling for restraint and peace. 

People who live near the Line of Control (LoC), India’s de facto border with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, have reported hearing the grim hum of drones and seeing red flashes of Pakistani drones intercepted by Indian air defence systems since May 8. 

The Indian government said artillery fire from Pakistan has killed at least 16 and injured over 50 in villages, in the worst violence between the two neighbours since ceasefire was renewed in 2021.

Hundreds of villagers who live near the LoC have been evacuated.

A photographer who visited Uri in Kashmir on assignment shared a photo of a woman holding a shrapnel after her house was hit by shelling from Pakistan. 

“Schools are shut and turned into shelters for evacuated people. Some families are living in basement bunkers and they are not sure when they will ever get to go back home,” she told ST. 

Projectiles and flashes were seen in the night sky...