Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is set to visit Poonch in Jammu on Saturday, where he will meet with the families affected by the recent spate of cross-border shelling by Pakistan, announced AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh.
This marks Gandhi’s second visit to Jammu and Kashmir following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 25 tourists and one resident.
His earlier visit to the Union Territory was on April 25, when he travelled to Srinagar to meet with the injured and other stakeholders. During that visit, he also discussed the issue with the Lieutenant Governor and the Chief Minister.
“Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, RahulGandhi, will be visiting Poonch tomorrow, May 24, to meet the families bereaved during the recent shelling by Pakistan,” Ramesh posted on the social media platform X.
Gandhi had previously condemned the Pahalgam attack, stating that such acts were aimed at sowing division among Indians and emphasizing the importance of national unity in the fight against terrorism.
The Poonch sector recently witnessed intense artillery exchanges after India launched precision airstrikes on May 7, targeting nine terrorist infrastructure sites across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). These included the headquarters of banned outfits, Jaish-e-Mohammed in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Muridke.
Following these strikes, Pakistan launched a series of retaliatory attacks—including artillery shelling, drone operations, and missile strikes—primarily targeting the Jammu region, particularly Poonch. Between May 8 and 10, these assaults resulted in 27 fatalities and left over 70 people injured.
In response to these attacks, Indian forces mounted a strong counter-offensive, targeting several Pakistani military sites. This escalation forced thousands of civilians living along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border to flee to government-run relief camps for safety.
The series of events was triggered by the Pahalgam terror incident, prompting India to launch Operation Sindoor, aimed at dismantling terror networks in the region. After four days of intense hostilities, both nations agreed on May 10 to de-escalate the military confrontation.
