Poonch (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], May 30 (ANI): Security arrangements have been stepped up in Poonch city of Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit today.

Residents of the area expressed hopes for a relief package amid concerns over recent shelling incidents.

Speaking to ANI, a resident said, 'People have suffered due to the shelling, we hope that the Union Home Minister will give a good package for the affected people.'

Another resident, Ashukh Ahmed, shared the same hope and expectation and told ANI, 'He is our Home Minister; we have a lot of expectations from him. People have suffered a lot, so we hope to get some package from our Home Minister.'

He added, 'People have suffered a lot. Houses have been destroyed, and some people have died. We hope the Home Minister will provide us with some help and support. You must have seen in the news how much damage has been caused. Even our bus stand in the district has been hit by shelling. There are very few places here that haven't been shelled. We hope the Home Minister gives us some relief.'

Meanwhile, after visiting the Poonch district on Thursday, following the recent conflict between India and Pakistan, the Congress leader and Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition (LoP) wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the letter, he requested a strong and generous relief and rehabilitation package for the people affected by Pakistani shelling in the border areas.

'I urge the Government of India to come out with a solid and generous relief and rehabilitation package for Poonch and all other areas affected by Pakistani shelling,' Gandhi wrote in the letter.

He said that 14 people, including four children, had lost their lives. At the same time, dozens were injured in Pakistani shelling, which caused 'massive destruction' in the common areas, with hundreds of houses and other structures damaged.

'I recently visited Poonch, where 14 people, including four children, have tragically lost their lives and dozens have been injured in Pakistani shelling. This sudden and indiscriminate attack has caused massive destruction in the common areas. Hundreds of houses, shops, schools and religious places have been badly damaged. Many victims said that their years of hard work were wasted in one stroke,' the letter stated.

In a post on X earlier, the Congress leader said that the pain being felt by the people of Poonch can be understood only after visiting it.

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and struck nine terror sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied-Kashmir in response to a ghastly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam last month in which 26 people were killed.

After the attack, Pakistan retaliated with cross-border shelling across the Line of Control and Jammu and Kashmir as well as attempted drone attacks along the border regions, following which India launched a coordinated attack and damaged radar infrastructure, communication centres, and airfields across 11 airbases in Pakistan.

After this, on May 10, an understanding of the cessation of hostilities between India and Pakistan was announced. (ANI)