Uri, Baramulla: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, May 14, said that the government is assessing damage and preparing relief measures for residents affected by the recent cross-border shelling in Uri, Tangdhar, Rajouri, and Poonch. The statement comes days after intense shelling across the Line of Control (LoC) was halted after a ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan.
Addressing the media during a visit to the affected regions, Abdullah said the shelling appeared to deliberately target civilian areas. “You saw the situation in Uri, Tangdhar, Rajouri and Poonch in the past three days. Our civilian areas were attacked. It seemed as if efforts were made to involve more and more civilians,” he told ANI.
Have a look at his entire statement here:
CM Abdullah confirmed that a ceasefire is currently holding across the LoC. “Right now, the ceasefire is prevailing. Currently, there is peace in the border regions,” he said. He added that the administration is visiting each impacted area to evaluate the extent of damage and ensure affected families receive timely assistance.
Abdullah also reiterated that the conflict was not initiated by India. Referring to the Pahalgam terror attack that triggered the escalation, he said, “We did not start this war. Our innocent people were attacked in Pahalgam. If the guns are not fired from that side, our guns will also not fire.”
Abdullah also noted a shift in civilian demand regarding safety infrastructure. “Again, bunkers are a topic of discussion. For several years, we were not in need of bunkers. Now, the people have demanded individual bunkers, not community ones,” he said. He assured that the administration would arrange for the construction of individual bunkers in all affected areas.
About Operation Sindoor
The ongoing tensions stem from the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which prompted India to launch Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorist camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. In response, Pakistan carried out retaliatory strikes between May 7 and 10, including shelling aimed at several Indian military and civilian sites.
A ceasefire was declared on May 10 and has remained in effect since, bolstered by two rounds of direct talks between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both countries.
