Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on Saturday reached Jammu and Kashmir’s border district of Poonch to meet families devastated by recent cross-border shelling from Pakistan. The shelling followed India’s precision military response during ‘Operation Sindoor’, launched after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Rahul Gandhi’s visit marks the first by any senior national political figure to the conflict zone since hostilities erupted earlier this month. He is accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Congress leaders, including state unit president Tariq Hameed Karra.

“Rahul Gandhi will visit structures damaged by the shelling, including a gurdwara, a temple, a madrassa and a Christian missionary school. He will also meet the bereaved families and members of civil society. He is the first national leader to reach out to the affected population to express his solidarity and share their pain,” Karra said.

On May 7, India carried out precision strikes targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) under ‘Operation Sindoor’, following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people — including 25 tourists and a local driver. In retaliation, Pakistani forces launched heavy shelling across the LoC and IB, killing 28 civilians — 13 of them in Poonch alone — and injuring over 70 others between May 7 and May 10.

During his visit, Rahul Gandhi interacted with displaced residents, many of whom have taken shelter in government-identified relief camps after being forced to flee their homes.

In a previous visit to Srinagar on April 25, Gandhi had condemned the Pahalgam attack and said, “Terrorists want to divide India, but we must stand united to defeat hatred with peace and solidarity.”

On May 12, India and Pakistan DGMOs agreed to a ceasefire, though India clarified that the agreement hinges on Pakistan’s commitment to preventing cross-border terrorism. Trade links and cooperation under the Indus Water Treaty remain suspended.