Aerial views of the snow-covered Pir Panjal mountain range in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian Army's Romeo Force has intensified search and surveillance operations in the Pir Panjal ranges of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir amid heavy snowfall in the region.
Fresh snowfall in Kashmir, including Srinagar, leads to flight cancellations and highway closures, disrupting normal life.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) rescued 60 people, including 40 soldiers, stranded in a snowbound area of Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir. The BRO also restored connectivity to strategic roads in the Rajouri district after heavy snowfall.
Heavy snowfall in the Kashmir Valley and Jammu region disrupted traffic and air services, leading to the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar highway and cancellation of flights. Rescue and road clearing operations are underway.
Terror outfits in Jammu and Kashmir are now constructing elaborately-designed underground bunkers deep inside thick forests and elevated ridges instead of taking shelter in local houses, officials said. This tactical shift, fuelled by eroding local support, presents a new challenge to the Army and other security forces.
Security forces in the Jammu region are maintaining a strong vigil and conducting operations to track down 40 to 50 terrorists active in the area. Multi-tier security measures, including anti-drone strategies and intensified night operations, are in place.
The tragedy struck the family on May 7 when they found themselves in the middle of intense Pakistani shelling at their rented accommodation in Poonch which was badly hit by the cross-border shelling.
10 Heroes of the 1965 War which ended on September 23 60 years ago.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started interviewing eyewitnesses, including tourists, in connection with the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, south Kashmir. The attack, carried out by terrorists from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22. Initial investigations suggest that five to seven terrorists were involved, aided by local militants trained in Pakistan. Security forces are conducting massive operations to hunt down the terrorists in the dense jungles of the Pir Panjal range.
Police also announced a bounty of Rs 20 lakh for information leading to the neutralisation of terrorists involved in the gruesome killings.
Pakistan troops have violated the ceasefire agreement for the 11th consecutive night, firing on Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir. The firing began in Kupwara and Baramulla districts and spread to other sectors, including Poonch, Rajouri, Mendhar, Naushera, Sunderbani, and Akhnoor. The Indian Army responded promptly and proportionately. The ceasefire violation comes despite a recent phone call between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan on April 29. This marks the latest escalation of tensions between the two countries, following a terror attack in Pahalgam in April.
The ultra could be seen entering a prefabricated hut, believed to be at the Gagangir tunnel construction site -- where seven people including six non-local labourers -- were killed in the terror attack, official sources said.
Hours after, however, firing from the Pakistani side was reported in Akhnoor sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Drones were also seen in the Pir Panjal area.
The Indian Army has increased its operational footprint in the Jammu region, including the strategic occupation of the upper reaches of the Pir Panjal range, a senior officer said. The army is playing a pivotal role in military-civilian coordination in creating a stable environment in the region, the officer said, adding that the force will continue its efforts to promote peace, security, and development in the area.
The story of two Adils, one a Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist and the other a pony 'wallah' who died protecting tourists, highlights the contrasting realities of life in Kashmir. While the terrorist, Aadil Thokar, is accused of the deadly attack on tourists in Baisaran, the heroic pony 'wallah', Syed Adil Hussain Shah, sacrificed his life to save them. Their stories, though separated by a tragic event, reveal the deep-rooted conflict and the enduring spirit of compassion in Kashmir.
'Diplomatic and economic responses are first announced and then implemented. A military response is announced only after it is done.'
The Udhampur-based northern command is committed to eliminate the scourge of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army said on Tuesday, as it paid tribute to four soldiers who died in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in Doda district.
Former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Ghulam Nabi Azad will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Anantnag -Rajouri constituency, his party Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) said.
The General said it was "too early" to take a call on the role of Bangladesh, where a change in government may bring about a change in the relationship between it and India.
'Had Haji Pir and/or Skardu been taken, the message would have gone out not just to General Asim Munir and his cohort in the Pakistan army but to the Pakistani people that every terrorist incident in India would lead to substantial loss of territory in PoK.'
Pakistan may want to undertake a 'false flag' operation in J&K to divert attention from the situation in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa but infiltrating one SSG battalion into J&K and having two SSG battalions waiting to follow suit means war, which Pakistan cannot afford in its current economic crisis, notes Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
To counter the threat and thwart the attempts of Pakistan-based handlers to spread terror in the peaceful areas of the region, officials said the Army, in close synergy with the police and the central armed police forces, has launched relentless operations in the vulnerable regions, especially in the dense forests.
The security forces unearthed this information while interrogating the members of the twin modules busted by the police in Rajouri recently.
The anti-terror operation was part of Indian security forces' counter-offensive Operation Asan, launched after terrorists attacked an Army convoy in the Battal area on October 28.
It sustained fatal bullet injuries on Monday while attempting to protect the troops from the terrorist assault.
The BJP has emerged the second largest party by winning 29 constituencies in the maiden assembly polls post abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, improving its all-time high tally of 25 seats recorded in 2014 elections.
With 19 border polling stations along the Line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch, a contingency plan has been worked out to deal with cross-border shelling though chances are negligible given the ongoing ceasefire between India and Pakistan that came into effect in February 2021, officials said.
This has also raised concerns over undetected infiltrations from across the Line of Control and terrorists potentially residing in the outskirts of cities and villages, they said.
Security forces launched a massive assault with mortar shells to flush out terrorists responsible for the killing of four personnel from a hilly forest in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday, officials said.
Thinning out of the counter infiltration and counter terrorism grid is fraught with the danger of revival of terrorism in the Poonch-Rajouri area, cautions Brigadier Narender Kumar (retd), the counter-insurgency expert.
He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists fired at the security forces, who retaliated.
Restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir's statehood as well as implementation of the autonomy resolution passed by the erstwhile assembly in 2000 are among the National Conference's 12 guarantees announced in its manifesto for the upcoming polls.
The attack took place near Shashidhar in the evening when the vehicles were moving towards Sanai Top in the district's Surankote area.
A self-styled divisional commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen was killed along with his bodyguard as security forces foiled an infiltration attempt and a conspiracy by the proscribed outfit to revive its activities in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district early on Monday, officials said.
'There is no link between Article 370 abrogation and a rise in voting percentage.'
As part of the deradicalisation strategy, the army, with the cooperation of the Union Territory administration, has undertaken a series of initiatives.
A search is underway to track down another terrorist, who was his accomplice, in the area, they said.
'The terrorists are using better technology to secure their communication.' 'It does appear that excessive reliance on technology led to a weakening of human intelligence.'
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