Jammu, Feb 6 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday visited forward areas along the International Border in Kathua, marking the start of his two-day tour of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The home minister visited the border outposts of Gurnam and Bobiyian in the Hiranagar sector and interacted with the Border Security Force (BSF) personnel guarding the frontier, the officials said.
His visit comes amid heightened focus on border management to scuttle infiltration of terrorists and smuggling of weapons and narcotics, and stepped up anti-terror operations that left four hardcore Pakistani terrorists of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) dead in nearly a dozen encounters in Kathua, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts over the past two weeks.
Shah reached Jammu late Thursday night and was received by Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Sunil Sharma.
In Kathua, the home minister virtually inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of six welfare schemes for border guards at Bobiyian, the officials said.
Shah will preside over a high-level security review meeting at Lok Bhavan in Jammu and distribute compassionate appointment letters to the families of some terror victims later in the day, the officials said.
On Saturday, the home minister will preside over a meeting on the development of Jammu and Kashmir at Lok Bhawan, the officials said. PTI TAS MNK MNK
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