'More bunkers will be built to safeguard border villages': Amit Shah assures

Indian Home Minister Amit Shah visited Kashmir on Friday (May 30), while addressing the families of those who succumbed to Pakistani shelling, he said the government will construct more bunkers to safeguard border villages.

As India launched Operation Sindoor in retaliation to the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, Pakistan engaged in cross-border firing. During these shellings, the people from border villages had to pay the price, and what ensued led to casualties on both sides of the border.

Shah spoke of building more bunkers to safeguard villagers residing in border areas, he said, “More than 9,500 bunkers were constructed in the border areas, and these bunkers played a major role in protecting the lives of the people. Many more will be built by the central government.”

A fortnight after the Pahalgam attack when Pakistan did not take any action against the terror camps, India retaliated with Operation Sindoor. "We have sent a message that India will not tolerate any attack on innocent civilians or Indian armed forces, and every attack will be responded to with more precision and accuracy," the Home Minister assured.

He continued, "Pakistan targeted the civilian areas in J&K, and Poonch suffered the most damage. For the first time, firing was done on Poonch post-independence. The entire world is condemning the attack by Pakistan. The Indian armed forces gave a befitting reply by destroying nine Pakistani air bases and as a result, they had to come forward for a ceasefire."

"This was a befitting reply given to terrorists on behalf of the crores of Indians. Hundreds of terrorists were killed in the operation. We launched an attack on terrorists, but Pakistan considered it an attack on itself. They showed the world that they are the ones who are sheltering terrorists."

In his address, he assured the families of security with government jobs but that in no way can compensate for the void in their lives. He said, "This is a sign that the J&K government, central government and the nation's sentiments are with you."