Kupwara (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 13 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday visited the Sub District Hospital in Kupwara to meet civilians who were injured in recent shelling by Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).
Heavy cross-border shelling by Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, conducted by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, had caused damage to homes and religious sites in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara, Uri, and Poonch. Despite this, locals vowed to stand with the Indian army.
Earlier in the day, CM Abdullah also inspected community bunkers in Tangdhar and visited the shelling-affected areas.
Earlier on Tuesday, after meeting residents affected by cross-border shelling in Kupwara, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the government will compensate the people after the damage assessment is completed.
"By God's grace, we haven't lost any lives here, but of course, there is a loss of public property like houses, shops, and Madrasa. The District Collector is with us. They will do the damage assessment. The assessment will be completed by today or tomorrow, and then the government will compensate the people accordingly. The immunity bunkers were made, but we didn't need them for a long time. And, we will try to build individual bunkers around the border and LoC areas," Abdullah told the media.
The J-K Chief Minister visited the Pakistani shelling-affected areas in Tangdhar and said that the residents affected have shown "remarkable courage."
"Visited the shelling-affected areas of Tangdhar and met families who have shown remarkable courage amidst deep pain. Their resilience is inspiring. The government stands shoulder to shoulder with them, their pain will not go unnoticed, and every possible step will be taken to help them rebuild their lives with dignity and renewed hope," the Office of J-K CM posted on X.
After India and Pakistan came to an understanding of the cessation of hostilities, life slowly returned to normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.