JAMMU, Feb 6: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday visited forward areas along the International Border in Kathua district, beginning his two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The Home Minister visited the Border Security Force (BSF) outposts of Gurnam and Bobiyian in the Hiranagar sector, where he interacted with personnel deployed along the frontier, the officials said.
The visit comes amid heightened focus on border management to curb infiltration, arms and narcotics smuggling, and in the backdrop of intensified anti-terror operations in the region. Over the past two weeks, four hardcore Pakistani terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were killed in nearly a dozen encounters across Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts.
Shah arrived in Jammu late Thursday night and was received by Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Sunil Sharma.
During his visit to Kathua, the Home Minister virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of six welfare schemes for border guards at Bobiyian, officials said.
Later in the day, Shah is scheduled to preside over a high-level security review meeting at Lok Bhavan in Jammu and distribute compassionate appointment letters to families of some terror victims.
On Saturday, the Home Minister will chair a meeting on Jammu and Kashmir’s development at Lok Bhavan, the officials added. (Agencies)
