The dastardly dimensions of the attack are gradually sinking in even as the Government of India announced its immediate diplomatic and other retaliatory measures. It is generally expected to be followed up with punitive military action across the LoC, sooner than later, observes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
The local recruitment of terrorists in the Pakistan-sponsored terror groups is also very low as only four locals have joined these groups this year, Army officials told ANI.
'It was inspired by the Hamas attack and was like their attack -- well planned and well executed.'
The nomination papers of 35 candidates including that of jailed separatist Sarjan Barkati were on Wednesday rejected during scrutiny for the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving 244 contestants in the fray.
'With today's operation at Khulchohar area of Anantnag by Police along with Local RR unit in which 2 Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists including one district commander and one HM commander Masood were neutralised, Doda district in Jammu Zone becomes totally militancy free once again,' Singh said.
Whether AAP bounces back or fades into political oblivion will depend on its strategy in the coming months.
A turnout of about 59 percent -- the highest in the past seven elections -- was recorded in the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said, adding polling passed off peacefully.
Jammu and Kashmir is facing a severe water crisis this year due to a massive rainfall deficit. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed concern about the situation and called for a proactive approach towards water management and conservation. The state has witnessed an 80% deficit in rainfall this year, raising the possibility of drought in the valley this summer. Several water bodies are flowing below the zero level mark, and some springs in south Kashmir have dried up completely. The water level in Jhelum and other major streams is alarmingly low.
The encounter started when security forces launched a joint operation in Posta-Potra village in Gundana area, 26 km from Doda town, following information about presence of some terrorists, the officials said.
The encounter broke out after the terrorists opened fire at the search party personnel, who retaliated, the officials said.
Security forces on Sunday intensified their operation to flush out terrorists from the forest area of Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on the second day of encounter that has left two soldiers and a civilian dead.
Security forces tightened their cordon around a forest area in the higher reaches of Doda district on Tuesday evening following an encounter with hiding terrorists, officials said.
Father of martyred Army captain Brijesh Thapa on Tuesday said he was proud of his son who was killed in action while fighting terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda.
Amit Doda, one of the accused in Abohar Dalit murder case, has surrendered before police even as the liquor baron and Akali leader Shiv Lal Doda continued to remain elusive.
The repatriation orders for the two Indian Police Service officers come in the backdrop of a spate of terror incidents in the Jammu region, along the India-Pakistan border.
Despite a massive search operation, terrorists affiliated with Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, who have recently infiltrated into the country, remain untraced.
On Tuesday, July 16, 2024, four army personnel, including a captain, died after being injured in a gunfight with heavily armed terrorists in Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir.
The AAP suffered a humiliating defeat in Haryana with most of its candidates set to lose their security deposit.
Modi began his nearly 45-minute speech by welcoming the people who attended the rally in the Kashmiri language. "This time, the (assembly) election will decide the future of Jammu and Kashmir, which has remained the target of foreign powers since Independence," he told the gathering.
In the election held earlier in the year, the AAP lost the sole seat it contested and the Congress won five out of 10 seats.
The bodies of two village defence guards (VDG) killed by terrorists were found near a rivulet on Friday during a massive search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said.
An army jawan allegedly committed suicide on Sunday by shooting himself with his service rifle in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. Jawan sepoy Atul Kumar Tiwari of 8 Rastriya Rifles shot himself while on guard duty at Arnoora Rashtriya Rifles camp in Doda district early on Sunday, police said.
They said police parties fanned out to find them amid reports that they had been abducted and killed by terrorists.
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A peace march was taken out in Doda district, where 19 Hindus were killed, to express solidarity with families of the victims.
Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar, other Indian Army officers and soldiers paid homage to the four bravehearts who made the supreme sacrifice for the Republic.
The troops of these two units are expected to be based in Samba and near the Jammu-Punjab border, the sources said.
Several newly-wed couples turned up at polling stations in wedding attire to cast their votes in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur constituency which went to polls in the first phase of Lok Sabha elections on Friday.
The police asked people and officials to ensure the video was not forwarded to anyone in any manner.
Taken by surprise when heavily armed men ambushed their convoy but quickly gathering themselves, jawans of the 22 Garhwal regiment fired more than 5,100 rounds to protect their injured colleagues and forced the terrorists to retreat into Kathua's wooded hills, officials said.
The DGP, along with additional director general of police (law and order) Vijay Kumar and Jammu zone additional director general of police Anand Jain, visited Jammu-based White Knight Corps and interacted with General Officer Commanding Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva, the army said.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Nagrota MLA Devender Singh Rana, brother of Union minister Jitendra Singh, died on Thursday at a private hospital in Haryana's Faridabad. He was 59.
A flood alert was issued in Doda and Leh districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday in view of rising water levels in Chenab and Sindh rivers.
At least 20 persons were killed and 26 others wounded in a tragic road accident in the hilly Doda district of Jammu region on Monday afternoon.
Once a trusted lieutenant of the former National Conference president Omar Abdullah and his political advisor during his tenure as chief minister, Rana holds considerable sway among Muslims, particularly the Gujjar community in Jammu.
He was oldest surviving militant in Jammu and Kashmir, where he entered from Pakistan in May 1997 from Rajouri sector as a militant of Lashker-e-Tayiba.
On Monday, five Army personnel were killed and five injured when heavily armed terrorists hurled a grenade and opened indiscriminate fire on two army vehicles around 3.30 pm on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar mountainous road near Badnota village, about 150 km from the district headquarters Kathua.
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.
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