The People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) swept the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls by winning 110 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single largest party by getting 75 seats after securing the largest vote share in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Wednesday.
The Kirti Chakra and Shaurya Chakra were posthumously awarded to Major David Manlun and Major Satish Dahiya, who lost their lives while fighting with terrorists in Nagaland and Jammu and Kashmir.
At least 44 passengers were airlifted in two sorties of Mi-17 helicopter from north Kashmir's Bandipora town to Dawar (Gurez), while 46 passengers were rescued from Dawar to Bandipora, an official spokesperson said.
The stage is set for the first of the five-phased assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir as 12 sitting MLAs, including seven ministers, are among 123 candidates trying their luck in 15 constituencies that will go to polls on Tuesday in all three regions of the state.
The identities and affiliation of the terrorists were yet to be known. Arms and ammunition had been recovered from the site.
Modi, after assuming office in 2014, has primarily spent the festival every year with soldiers and security personnel at different parts of the country.
Terrorists have stepped up attacks in the Kashmir valley over the past week.
Security forces have busted 2 militant hideouts in Bandipora and Kupwara districts of Kashmir and recovered arms and ammunition, an Army spokesman said on Thursday.
The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday searched 10 locations in the Valley and one in Bengaluru in connection with a case related to NGOs and trusts diverting funds meant for charitable activities to 'secessionist and separatist activities' in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
This is the second encounter in the district in as many days.
The encounter took place in Hajin area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Wednesday.
Search operations were on in the area.
Curfew continued to remain imposed without any relaxation in parts of Bandipora district of north Kashmir for the fourth consecutive day on Thursday following sectarian clashes in which four persons were injured. "Curfew continues to remain in force in Inderkoot and Sumbal areas of Bandipora district due to law and order problems," said a police spokesman. The curfew was imposed on December 20 after sectarian clashes broke out in Inderkoot area of Sumbal town.
A militant was killed and three army jawans injured in three different encounters with terrorists in Bandipora and Kupwara district along the Line of Control in north Kashmir, official sources said on Tuesday.
On a mission to visit the families of soldiers who have died in action, Vikas Manhas has met over 1,000 families whose loved ones made the supreme sacrifice for the country.
Seven terrorists were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Pulwama and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, a defence spokesman said.
A civilian was shot dead by the Army in a case of "mistaken identity" during an ambush in the forests of Bandipora district, a defence spokesman said in Srinagar on Thursday. "The man was challenged by the troops but he started running away, forcing the soldiers to open fire which resulted in injuries to the man," the spokesman said. He said after ascertaining that the injured person was not armed, the troops gave him first aid but he succumbed to his injuries.
Three militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in the forests of Bandipora district of north Kashmir on Monday.
Nineteen candidates saw an extremely close contest in the maiden District Development Council (DDC) polls in Jammu and Kashmir where the margin of victory was less than 100.
Ganderbal district recorded the highest of 56.40 per cent polling in the Valley, while Poonch district of Jammu region polled the highest of 71.62 per cent votes across J-K.
According to new guidelines imposed by authorities on Sunday, shops have been allowed to open on alternate days.
Aijaz Hussain won the Khonmoh-II District Development Council seat in Srinagar, while Aijaz Ahmad Khan gave the party more reason to cheer by winning the Tulail seat in Bandipora district.
Gurez constituency in the once terrorist-infested Bandipora district recorded the highest voting -- 74 per cent -- followed by Mendhar and Poonch (73), Surankote (68), Nobra (66) Leh, Kargil and Zanskar (all 60 per cent), Bandipora(57) and Sonawari (46)
An army soldier was also injured in the encounter.
Security forces on Wednesday arrested one of the top commanders of terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen along with two other suspects from Bandipora district.
The report published in the gazettes of India appeared in local newspapers on Monday and showed that Habba Kadal seat in Kashmir division and Suchetgarh seat in Jammu province had been restored.
Central security forces have taken positions well in advance in and around 1038 booths in Bandipora, Poonch, Leh and Kargil districts to instill confidence among the voters and foil the 'evil designs' of terrorists to disrupt the electoral process, officials said. Of the 1038 polling stations, more than half of them have been described as 'hyper sensitive' while the rest have been placed under 'sensitive' category.
Curfew on Monday remain clamped in nine districts of Kashmir while it was relaxed in Bandipora and Handwara town of Kupwara. The curfew, which had been relaxed in a phased manner over the past few days across the Valley, was reimposed on Sunday following sporadic incidents of violence over varied issues, including the Amarnath accord, official sources said.
The 68-year-old Bindroo, who ran Bindroo Medicate, was shot at by the assailants point blank at his pharmacy, a police official said, adding he was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead.
A man died of cardiac arrest following a grenade attack by militants on a security patrol in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, official sources said.
Five militants were killed in two separate encounters with security forces in Bandipora district on Tuesday.
When the search party entered the house of one Ghulam Nabi Zargar, he tried to hurl a grenade on them but the explosive device exploded in his hand killing him on the spot, the sources said.
An army junior commissioned officer has been killed in an encounter in Bandipora in north Kashmir, the police said.
According to reports, the operation concluded without any positive results.
"Four terrorists were killed in the retaliatory firing and the suicide attack was foiled," an official said.
Blowing a hole into the Union government claims that terror funding had been badly hit by the demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, the new currency notes were recovered from the possession of the terrorists who were killed in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir.
Security agencies made a quick estimate of passports issued between 2015 and 2019, and found that out of the 40 youth who had gone to Bangladesh or Pakistan for studies, 28 had infiltrated back into the country as trained terrorists, the officials said.
This time army killed 1 terrorists along the Line of Control in Gurez sector.
Hashim Sofi, who hails from Bandipora district of Kashmir, had told the hostel's chief warden that on Friday morning, he had found the door of his room and his clothes inked with threats and abuses, an official of the institute said.
Five soldiers were trapped at an Army post after multiple avalanches hit Batalik sector in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir today, an Army official said.
