Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday visited forward areas along the International Border (IB) in Kathua district, marking the beginning of his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
During the visit, Shah inspected the Gurnam and Bobiyian border outposts in the Hiranagar sector and interacted with Border Security Force (BSF) personnel deployed along the frontier. He reviewed the security situation and operational preparedness of the forces guarding the border.
Officials said the visit comes at a time of heightened focus on border management to prevent infiltration by terrorists and to curb the smuggling of weapons and narcotics. Security forces have intensified anti-terror operations in recent weeks, resulting in the killing of four hardcore Pakistani terrorists affiliated with Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in nearly a dozen encounters across Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts.
The home minister arrived in Jammu late Thursday night and was received by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Sunil Sharma.
In Kathua, Shah also virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of six welfare schemes for border guards at Bobiyian, aimed at strengthening facilities and support systems for personnel posted in border areas.
Later in the day, he is scheduled to chair a high-level security review meeting at Lok Bhavan in Jammu and distribute compassionate appointment letters to the families of terror victims. On Saturday, Shah will preside over a separate meeting focused on the development of Jammu and Kashmir, officials added.
