Srinagar, May 14 -- Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah on Wednesday accusedPakistanof deliberately targeting civilian areas inJammu and Kashmir, saying the local population bore the brunt of cross-border shelling.

The Chief Minister said that civilians bear the brunt - homes destroyed, lives uprooted in relentless cross-border attacks. "Relief and support are being extended to affected families," he said.

"The pattern of shelling in Uri mirrors what we've seen recently in Tangdhar, Rajouri and Poonch. Civilian areas were hit hard and people have suffered immensely. It appears that the targeting was deliberate," he told reporters in Uri.

Omar assured the residents that relief measures are being initiated and that a detailed damage assessment...