Union Home Minister Amit Shah arrived in Jammu on Friday evening for a crucial two-day visit to review the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and connect directly with people affected by cross-border shelling in Poonch district.
This is Shah’s first visit to the region since the Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people, mostly tourists.
Received by top officials, heads straight to security meeting
After landing at the technical airport in Jammu, Shah was welcomed by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other senior officials. From there, he went to Raj Bhawan in Jammu, where he led a high-level meeting focused on the region’s security situation.
“Top officials from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Intelligence Bureau (IB), and civil administration participated in the meeting,” official sources said.
The discussion focused heavily on ensuring the safety of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, tightening counter-terrorism measures, monitoring the progress of Operation Sindoor, and strengthening anti-infiltration efforts along the Line of Control (LoC).
Poonch visit to meet victims, assess damage
After staying overnight in Jammu, Shah will travel to Poonch, one of the worst-hit areas in the recent cross-border shelling from Pakistan. His visit aims to show solidarity with the affected people and personally assess the damage.
He is expected to meet several families impacted by the shelling and visit religious sites that were damaged in the attacks. One of the major stops on his visit will be the Singh Sabha Gurdwara, which was reportedly hit during the shelling.
Meeting jawans and honoring the fallen
Shah will also interact with jawans at the BSF camp in Poonch and is scheduled to address civilians at the Dak Bungalow who were affected by the Pakistani shelling. Later, he’ll speak to BSF personnel at their Unit Headquarters in Khanetar.
Sources say that during his visit, Shah may also distribute appointment letters to the families of civilians who were killed in the shelling as a gesture of support and compensation.
Part of a series of visits since Pahalgam attack
This is Shah’s third visit to Jammu and Kashmir in less than two months. His first trip was on April 6, followed by another visit on April 23, a day after the tragic Pahalgam terror attack.
His latest trip comes in the wake of India’s powerful response to the Pahalgam killings, where the Indian armed forces struck terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in the early hours of May 7 under Operation Sindoor.