POONCH: Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah visited the families of those killed in Pakistan shelling in Poonch. He thanked residents for maintaining peace and said suggestions from civil society would be implemented to reduce casualties in future incidents.

Speaking to media reporters, Abdullah said,"For 3-4 days, there was a war-like environment in J&K and Poonch was most affected by Pakistan shelling...13 precious lives were lost in it...My aim in coming here was to visit those houses (of victims)...I met the civil society here."

"I thanked the people of Poonch for maintaining the brotherhood even during this tough situation... In the future, if such an incident happens, we have received suggestions from the civil society to avoid such huge losses and we will work on it," he added.

Earlier today, Abdullah visited a government hospital in Poonch to meet civilians injured in the recent cross-border shelling.

Visuals from the hospital showed Abdullah interacting with several individuals who had sustained injuries during the heavy shelling by Pakistan over the past few days. He enquired about their health and assured them of the administration's support.

Following his hospital visit, Abdullah also visited the families of civilians who lost their lives in the firing. Among them was the family of Amrik Singh, who died in the shelling incident.

He also paid a visit to the home of Amarjeet Singh, another civilian casualty of the recent hostilities.