J&K CM Omar visits shell-hit Poonch, stresses need for building bunkers

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday reached out to people affected by Pakistani shelling in the Poonch district and stressed the need for setting up bunkers in the area.

The Poonch district accounted for the highest 20 of the total 27 fatalities with over 50 others injured since Wednesday, shortly after India carried out Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and PoK to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead.

Abdullah, along with his advisor Nasir Aslam Wani and MLA Ajaz Jan, visited Poonch and surveyed areas heavily damaged by Pakistani shelling.

They met with the families of those killed in the shelling, especially the family of Amarjeet Singh and Amrik Singh, and offered their condolences to the bereaved kin.

Locals briefed the chief minister about the on-ground situation. The purpose of the visit was to provide support and comfort to the grieving families, the leaders said.

Abdullah also visited the Surankote area and interacted with locals of the border areas who had been shifted to safer locations. He was briefed by his minister Javed Rana on the measures being taken by the administration.

The chief minister stressed the need for constructing bunkers for border residents to ensure their safety. He is also slated to visit Rajouri.

The was largely peaceful in Jammu and Kashmir with no firing from across the Pakistani frontier reported border overnight, marking the first such night in recent days.

New Delhi and Islamabad reached an understanding on Saturday afternoon to halt military actions with immediate effect after four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes.