Online Desk : A senior Jammu and Kashmir government officer was killed as Pakistan targeted civilian areas in Rajouri and other parts of the Union Territory on Saturday morning.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said he had no words to express his shock and sadness, adding that the officer had attended an online meeting with him, hours before his tragic death.

"Devastating news from Rajouri. We have lost a dedicated officer of the J&K Administration Services. Just yesterday he was accompanying the Deputy CM around the district & attended the online meeting I chaired. Today the residence of the officer was hit by Pak shelling as they targeted Rajouri town killing our Additional District Development Commissioner Sh Raj Kumar Thappa. I`ve no words to express my shock & sadness at this terrible loss of life. May his soul rest in peace," the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

BJP leader Ravinder Raina said he was "deeply saddened" by Mr Thappa`s death. "He was very daring and a people-friendly officer who served the nation and society with utmost sincerity," he said.

Civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir have come under heavy fire from across the border after India carried out targeted strikes on terror bases in Pakistan in retaliation for the Pahalgam terror attack in which 25 innocents were murdered in cold blood.

Several people have been killed after Pakistan targeted civilian areas in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, under which India struck nine locations with terror infrastructure linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The two terror outfits, banned in several parts of the world, have been backing acts of terror on Indian soil for decades. In the aftermath of the airstrikes, India asserted that it had not targeted military installations and also released visuals establishing how it carried out the strikes with precision and kept collateral damage to a minimum.

Pakistan, however, has responded by pounding residential areas, targeting places of worship and launching a barrage of drones towards multiple states and Union Territories along India`s northwestern border, starting from Jammu and Kashmir to Rajasthan.

Sirens are sounding out intermittently in multiple cities in these states as India`s air defence system intercepts drones and missiles. The drone attacks have been accompanied by unprovoked heavy shelling from Pakistan. Indian forces have been responding effectively and their counterattacks have taken down key defence systems in Pakistan.

The Defence Ministry yesterday said drones, some of them armed, were sighted at 26 locations along the International Border and Line of Control with Pakistan. "The locations include Baramulla, Srinagar, Avantipora, Nagrota, Jammu, Ferozpur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Lalgarh Jatta, Jaisalmer, Barmer, Bhuj, Kuarbet and Lakhi Nala."

"Regrettably, an armed drone targeted a civilian area in Ferozpur, resulting in injuries to members of a local family. The injured have been provided medical assistance and the area has been sanitised by security forces."

"The Indian Armed Forces are maintaining a high state of alert, and all such aerial threats are being tracked and engaged using counter-drone systems. The situation is under close and constant watch and prompt action is being taken wherever necessary," the ministry said on X.

"Citizens, especially in border areas, are advised to remain indoors, limit unnecessary movement, and strictly follow safety instructions issued by local authorities. While there is no need for panic, heightened vigilance and precaution are essential."