Indian Army provides vital relief to shelling-affected Poonch locals in Jammu and Kashmir

India Gazette

17-05-2025

Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 17 (ANI): The Indian Army carried out a door-to-door outreach in villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, which were severely affected by recent Pakistani shelling.
As part of the relief efforts, Army jawans distributed essential supplies including medicines and ration to the residents, while also interacting with them to understand their needs.
A local resident said, 'Our areas were affected by the shelling. The Indian Army has played a very important role on the borders and they are providing us with relief material. We thank the Indian Army. We stand in support of the Indian Army.'
'They are providing us with rations. I pray to God for the long life of these Army personnel. We are with them. Just as they are bravely guarding the borders, we too stand in solidarity with them here in Poonch,' stated another resident.
Intense shelling by Pakistan during the recent conflict with India has left a trail of destruction in the border villages and districts across the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, with locals suffering damages to their houses and livelihood.
Reportedly, the locals have suffered damages to their livestock, properties, and essentially their livelihood in border areas such as Nowshera.
Earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary visited border villages near the LoC in Rajouri district and interacted with residents affected by recent hostilities.
The visit followed the ruthless Pakistani shelling in the civilian areas of Jammu and Kashmir post Operation Sindoor, which was conducted on May 7. The operation was conducted in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people, including a Nepali national.
Meanwhile, the locals residing in the border villages demanded that the government compensate them for the damaged houses. They also urged the Indian government 'not to spare Pakistan' for its misadventures.
In the early hours of May 7, the Indian Armed Forces conducted strikes at nine terror hideouts in the deep areas of Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under the 'Operation Sindoor' in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. (ANI)