Rajouri (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 14 (ANI): Jammu and Kashmir administration is actively assessing the damage and expediting relief efforts in border areas affected by recent shelling from across the Line of Control (Loc), the union territory's Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo said.

'You saw that the shelling from across the Line of Control has targeted civilian areas. Many people have been injured, many have lost their livestock, and their houses have been damaged,' Dulloo said on Tuesday.

Heavy cross-border shelling by Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, conducted by the Indian Armed Forces in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, had caused damage to homes and religious sites in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara, Uri, and Poonch. Despite this, locals vowed to stand with the Indian army.

He added that the local administration is working to provide relief promptly. 'Now, the local administration is working on quickly assessing the situation and providing relief as soon as possible.'

Providing an update on border safety infrastructure, Dulloo said, 'There are around 9,500 bunkers across the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. But the demand for more bunkers still exists, so we will build more, and there will be no shortage of bunkers.'

On the extent of damage across the affected areas, he stated, 'As for the entire district, how much loss has occurred, how many houses have been damaged, that assessment is currently underway.'

Earlier on Tuesday, the Indian Army managed to defuse unexploded shells in the residential areas of villages near the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Meanwhile, CM Abdullah also inspected community bunkers in Tangdhar and visited the shelling-affected areas.

After meeting residents affected by cross-border shelling in Kupwara, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the government will compensate the people after completing the damage assessment.

'By God's grace, we haven't lost any lives here, but of course, there is a loss of public property like houses, shops, and a Madrasa. The District Collector is with us. They will do the damage assessment. The assessment will be completed by today or tomorrow, and then the government will compensate the people accordingly. The immunity bunkers were made, but we didn't need them for a long time. And, we will try to build individual bunkers around the border and LoC areas,' Abdullah told mediapersons.

The J-K Chief Minister visited the Pakistani shelling-affected areas in Tangdhar and said that the residents affected have shown 'remarkable courage.'

'Visited the shelling-affected areas of Tangdhar and met families who have shown remarkable courage amidst deep pain. Their resilience is inspiring. The government stands shoulder to shoulder with them, their pain will not go unnoticed, and every possible step will be taken to help them rebuild their lives with dignity and renewed hope,' the Office of J-K CM posted on X.

After India and Pakistan came to an understanding of the cessation of hostilities, life slowly returned to normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir. (ANI)