Relatives and neighbours on Monday mourned a man killed by a blast in Indian-administered Kashmir, hours before a weekend ceasefire with Pakistan ended a spiralling conflict.
Zakir Hussain, 47, died on Saturday just outside his home on the fringes of Jammu, a key city of over 1.5 million people, before India and Pakistan agreed to a ceasefire and pulled back from all-out war.
鈥楬ow could he leave me like that and go?鈥� his widow Farida Begum said through tears. 鈥楬ow will I take care of our children all by myself?鈥�
At least 15 Indian civilians died as the two nuclear-armed rivals mounted deadly attacks and counter-attacks on each other over four days starting May 7, when New Delhi launched missile strikes at what it called 鈥榯errorist camps鈥� in Pakistan.
Most of the deaths occurred in villages along the contested border of Kashmir, a Himalayan territory claimed in entirety by both nations.
But Hussain, who ran a small bakery, lived over 20 kilometres from the frontier.
He was buried on Saturday.
鈥榃e thought the war was far away at the border, as it always has been,鈥� said his cousin Zulfiqar Ali.
鈥楤ut this time, at least 30 bombs fell in our locality.鈥�
Like others in the neighbourhood, Hussan and his family ran for cover.
鈥榃hen the bombs started raining that morning, the window panes in the house shattered, so they panicked and ran outside,鈥� said Hussain鈥檚 aunt and neighbour Noorjahan.
Moments later, Hussain was hit. By the time medical aid arrived, he was dead.
His 16-year-old daughter Iram was also struck by shrapnel but survived with minor injuries to her face.
India鈥檚 missile strikes followed an attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 people and which New Delhi accused Pakistan of backing.
Islamabad firmly denied any involvement and called for an independent investigation.
In her home in Jammu, Farida broke down crying.
鈥業 can鈥檛 take it anymore,鈥� she sobbed. 鈥業 just cannot.鈥�
