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

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)

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

First Post

31 minutes ago

• First Post

With a 2-hr closed-door meeting, Trump may have made it difficult for Asim Munir

While their meeting has been seen as a sign of US-Pakistan bonhomie, US President Donald Trump might have put Pakistani Army chief Asim Munir in a difficult position: Munir risks compromising ties with China with the turn to the United States and Trump's demands go against longstanding Pakistani foreign policy. read more Pakistan's Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir salutes after laying wreath on the martyrs' monument during a guard of honour ceremony at General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. AFP While their meeting is definitely a sign of the brewing US-Pakistan bonhomie, US President Donald Trump appears to have put Pakistani Army chief Field Marshall Asim Munir in a difficult spot: while Trump's offerings are generous, his demands are taxing and risk compromising longstanding Pakistani position. Trump held a two-hour-long meeting with Munir on Wednesday, which was seen as a breakthrough in the US-Pakistan relationship. For one, Trump wants Pakistan to distance itself from China and pivot to the United States. That is a non-starter for Pakistan as China is invested so much in the country economically, politically, and militarily that distancing is not just infeasible but unthinkable. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, Trump's outreach to Pakistan —and offers— don't come for free. The risks for Munir are also substantial. Trump puts Munir in difficult spot While Trump made generous offers to Munir, he also sought substantial returns on his investment. Trump sought Pakistan's military bases and seaports from Munir in exchange for fifth-generation fighter planes, significant financial aid, and new trade and security deals, according to CNN-News 18. Trump told Munir that the offer rests on the condition that Pakistan would curtain dealings with China and Russia. A source further said that Trump would want Pakistan to be on the US side if he would decide to join Israel in attacking Iran. ALSO READ: Trump wants military bases from Munir, offers security-trade deals in US-Pak reset: Report While Trump's offerings are great, they put Munir in a tough spot as accepting these offers would mean diluting yearslong relationship with Pakistan and undoing the longstanding policy regarding Israel. Consider these facts: China accounts for around 23 of all Pakistan's trade, China is the largest source of foreign investment in Pakistan with a share of around 40 per cent, and just one project, China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), adds 2-2.5 per cent of Pakistan's economy. Moreover, while Pakistan has historically used Western weapons, the military has been increasingly armed by China in recent years . In the past five years, around 80 per cent of Pakistan's military imports have been from China. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD With such dependence, it is impractical —if not impossible— for Munir to curtail ties and engagement with China and replace it with the United States as the principal partner of the United States. But, once you have had an audience with Trump and received such offers, it is not easy to bluntly say no. That means that either Munir would lose face in front of Trump by refusing the offers or he would try to reach middle ground that could upset both Trump and Xi Jinping of China. Trump seeks reset in US-Pakistan ties With his meeting with Munir, Trump has made it clear that he is seeking a reset in US-Pakistan ties. In an unprecedented meeting that lays bare who truly runs Pakistan, Trump held a meeting at the White House with Munir on Wednesday. This was the first time a President of the United States held a direct, formal meeting with a Pakistani army chief. Three previous army chiefs, Ayub Khan, Zia-ul-Haq, and Pervez Musharraf, held meetings with the US president but only when they were heads of state while running a military regime after a coup — not in capacity as army chiefs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The reset in US-Pakistan relationship has come at a time when Trump's policies and actions have soured times with India . He has not just continued to falsely claim mediation in the India-Pakistan conflict last month but has also hyphenated India and Pakistan, intervened in the Kashmir dispute, and made deals with jihadists from West Asia to South Asia that adversely affect India's security interests. ALSO READ: Beyond Pakistan: Trump's open embrace of jihadist forces across Asia a new headache for India However, as mentioned above, Trump is not making offers but also seeking substantial returns. South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman describes it as a 'classic Trump' give-and-take approach. 'There's been US-Pakistan engagement on crypto, minerals and counter-terrorism, and Trump takes a deep personal interest in all of these. This is classic Trump: 'What can you do for me? What can I get out of this?' Kugelman, a Senior Fellow at Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, told Guardian. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD

Hindustan Times

36 minutes ago

• Hindustan Times

Himachal government deceiving people of state: Tandon

Jun 22, 2025 08:40 AM IST Taking a jibe at the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu led Congress government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state co-incharge Sanjay Tandon said that it is deceiving people of the state by failing to fulfil poll promises. BJP Himachal co-incharge Sanjay Tandon (File) Tandon, was the keynote speaker at a professional meet organised by BJP on Saturday. He said that during the elections, the Congress party had pledged that every woman of Himachal Pradesh will be given ₹ 1,500 per month but it has not been fulfilled yet, the Congress party believes in deception from resolution. He said, 'Sankalp se Siddhi is not just a phrase but a true resolution which has been fulfilled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.' Addressing the program, BJP state president Rajiv Bindal said, 'Today, PM Modi has responded to terrorism at every level. Operation Sindoor is a living example of this.' BJP state media incharge Karan Nanda said an exhibition was organised by the BJP state on the Ridge ground, which has a complete description of the achievements of the central government in 11 years and this exhibition was inaugurated on Saturday.

India Gazette

2 hours ago

• India Gazette

Nepal thanks India for evacuating nationals from Iran

Kathmandu [Nepal], June 22 (ANI): Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba on Saturday thanked External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for assisting in the evacuation of Nepali students from conflict-hit Iran, calling it a reflection of the strong Nepal-India ties. In a post on X, Deuba wrote, 'Thank you External Affairs Minister of India S Jaishankar for India's swift assistance in helping to evacuate Nepali nationals from Iran. India's support in Nepal's evacuation efforts is a reflection of strength of Nepal- India ties.' Earlier, the Sri Lankan Government also extended its heartfelt gratitude to the Government of India for its timely assistance in evacuating Sri Lankan nationals from Iran amidst the Islamic Republic's ongoing conflict with Israel. The gesture, part of India's Operation Sindhu, underscores the robust and enduring partnership between the two nations, as the Foreign Ministry of Sri Lanka stated in a post on X on Saturday. 'Sri Lanka extends its sincere gratitude to the Government of India for the timely assistance to evacuate Sri Lankan nationals from Iran alongside Indian citizens,' the post read. 'This act of solidarity exemplifies the strong and enduring partnership between Sri Lanka and India and is deeply appreciated by the people of Sri Lanka,' it added. Earlier on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Iran said that it had made efforts to evacuate citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka and noted that the efforts were made at the request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka. 'On request of the Governments of Nepal and Sri Lanka, the Indian Embassy's evacuation efforts in Iran will also cover Citizens of Nepal and Sri Lanka,' the Indian Embassy in Iran posted on X. The Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka had also issued a notice to the Sri Lankan nationals in Iran for the evacuation. 'Notice to Sri Lankan Nationals in Iran. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Employment and Tourism informs all Sri Lankans in the Islamic Republic of Iran that the Government of Sri Lanka has made arrangements with the Government of India to assist Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran by accommodating them in their flights,' the notice said. 'Accordingly, any Sri Lankans who wish to leave Iran can reach out to the Indian Embassy in Tehran, either on the Telegram Channel or over the following emergency contact numbers: +98 901 014 4557; +98 912 810 9115; +98 912 810 9109,' it added. Meanwhile, another special flight carrying 290 Indians stranded in conflict-hit Iran landed safely in New Delhi on Saturday night, bringing the total number of people evacuated under Operation Sindhu to 1,117. This marks the fifth batch of Indians evacuated from Iran as part of the ongoing operation. In a post on X, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated, 'Operation Sindhu gains momentum. 290 Indian nationals have returned home safely from Iran on a special flight from Mashhad that landed in New Delhi at 2330 hrs on 21 June 2025.' 'With this, 1,117 Indian nationals have been evacuated from Iran,' the MEA added. The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its ninth day on Saturday. The conflict started after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed 'Operation Rising Lion'. In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres. (ANI)