Jammu, July 20 -- The Pir Panjal region of Jammu and Kashmir faced the fury of nature late Saturday and early Sunday as at least 12 people got killed and several others went missing as torrential rains triggered landslides and flash floods in the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri, prompting a multi-agency rescue operation.

Surankote tehsil in Poonch district was the worst hit, where most of the fatalities occurred, while rescue teams raced against time to trace the missing amid continuing rain and damaged roads, the officials said.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was in Delhi for the proposed statehood protest, decided to cut short his stay in the national capital and return to Jammu in the afternoon in view of the worsening...