Omar Abdullah backs ‘Operation Sindoor’, says Pakistan went out of its way to target civilians

SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday accused Pakistan of deliberately targeting civilians in the state.

“After the brutal killing of 26 innocent people in Pahalgam, it was expected that India would respond appropriately. I believe the Government of India and our defence forces made sure not to attack any military or civilian areas in Pakistan. They only targeted terrorist camps,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar.

He said Pakistan had, however, gone “out of its way” to target civilians. “I have reviewed the situation, and we are handling it as it unfolds,” he said.

With Pakistani forces firing mortars and artillery across the Line of Control (LoC) and killing 12 people while injuring 60 more, the Chief Minister said the government was sending more ambulances to border areas and closely watching developments. “Our response will change as the situation evolves,” he added.

Omar blamed Pakistan for the rising tensions. “We are in this situation because of them. If they hadn’t attacked innocent civilians in Pahalgam, things wouldn’t have reached this point. The ceasefire at the LoC had held for a long time. J&K was peaceful, and tourism was doing well, which is vital for our economy. But now, because of what happened in Pahalgam, shelling has started again and innocent people are dying. Pakistan has no excuse. They are solely responsible for the current situation,” he said.