In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistan on Thursday again resorted to firing on Border Out Posts along the International Border in the Samba and Jammu districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
"A high alert has been sounded in Kathua district and entry into the state from neighbouring Punjab at Lakhanpur is being monitored and checked", said a senior police officer in winter capital Jammu.
Three civilians were killed in a remote area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, sparking protests and a shutdown. The killings, which are being investigated as a possible case of terrorism, have caused fear and anger in the community. Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan is reviewing the security situation and has assured that such incidents will not be allowed to happen again. The incident has also raised concerns about the safety of local politicians, with one MLA being attacked by a group of protesters.
In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistani Rangers on Sunday resorted to small arms firing on forward Border Outposts along the international border in Jammu district.
Social media influencer Orhan Awatramani, known as Orry, and seven others were booked for allegedly consuming alcohol at a hotel in Katra, the base camp for the pilgrimage to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine. The FIR was registered for violating the law and hurting religious sentiments. The hotel reportedly prohibits alcohol and non-vegetarian food due to its proximity to the shrine.
The Saudi statement came as tensions soared significantly, with Pakistan claiming that its three airbases were targeted by Indian missiles and drones early Saturday.
The Congress Working Committee (CWC) condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, calling it a direct assault on the values of the republic. The party accused the BJP of exploiting the tragedy to promote discord and polarization, while urging for unity and solidarity in the face of adversity. The CWC also demanded a comprehensive analysis of the intelligence failures and security lapses that led to the attack.
A mysterious illness has claimed 17 lives in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, with the latest victim being a young girl named Yasmeen Kousar. The deaths have sparked concern and an inter-ministerial team has been sent to investigate the cause. The patients experienced symptoms such as fever, pain, nausea, and loss of consciousness before dying within days of hospitalization. The J&K government has ruled out a communicable disease of bacterial or viral origin.
Shubham Dwivedi, a 31-year-old businessman from Kanpur, was shot dead by terrorists in Kashmir's Pahalgam on Tuesday, just two months after his wedding. Dwivedi was on a vacation with his wife and family when the incident occurred. The terrorists reportedly asked Dwivedi to recite an Islamic declaration of faith and shot him in the head when he failed to do so. The attack has sparked outrage and condemnation across India.
A massive multi-tier combing operation to track down a group of infiltrating terrorists continued for the fourth consecutive day in forested areas of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district. The operation, involving the army, NSG, BSF, police, Special Operation Group, and CRPF, is supported by helicopter, UAVs, drones, bulletproof vehicles, and sniffer dogs. The operation was launched on Sunday evening following an encounter between security forces and terrorists hiding in a nursery. Security agencies have questioned several persons in various areas and picked up three suspects for questioning.
An Army Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was killed in an encounter with terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The terrorists' infiltration attempt was thwarted, but the JCO succumbed to injuries sustained during the encounter. This incident comes after a recent brigade commander-level flag meeting between India and Pakistan to discuss border management, highlighting the ongoing security challenges in the region.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation at Kadder in the Behibagh area of the district on Wednesday night following information about the presence of suspected terrorists there, an official said.
After retirement, Desle toured a couple of places but visiting Kashmir was his dream, said 60-year-old Nerkar who used to do yoga with his friend regularly.
Police said that Makhan Din, a nephew of exfiltrated Pak terrorist Swar Din alias Swaru Gujjar, was associated with the group responsible for the July 2024 Badnotta army convoy attack that killed four army jawans.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, offering condolences to families affected by cross-border shelling and encouraging students who lost two classmates to the violence. During an hour-long visit, Gandhi met with students at the convent school that lost the twins, and visited families whose homes were damaged in the shelling.
'If Pakistan has fired one bullet at us then we have to respond by firing 10 bullets at them. It is our right to do so.'
'We completely destroyed at least three posts, an ammunition depot, fuel storage facility, and gunnery, among other targets. Our retaliation was so devastating that it will take Pakistan at least 8-12 months to rebuild, possibly longer'
Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir resumed an anti-terrorist operation in Kathua district, a day after a deadly encounter killed three terrorists and three policemen. Seven others were injured in the gunbattle. The operation began on Thursday morning after a group of suspected Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists infiltrated from across the International Border. While the bodies of three terrorists were found, the fate of two others remains unknown. The operation, centered near Jakhole village, saw intense clashes involving police, army, and CRPF forces.
Top security officials in Jammu and Kashmir met to discuss an integrated plan to crack down on the terror ecosystem in the Chenab Valley, which witnessed several terror incidents last year. The meeting, which included representatives from the Army, police, and intelligence agencies, focused on strengthening security measures and coordinating efforts to combat terrorism. The government's plan to arm ex-servicemen was also discussed to supplement the existing Village Defence Guards.
The India meteorological department said heatwave conditions will persist for at least two more days.
However, there has been an appreciable decline in the casualties of civilians and security forces in the terror attacks in the past nearly four years. Against 11 civilian killings from October 27, 2015 to August 4, 2019, there was a 63 per cent decrease with seven civilian killings reported post the abrogation of Article 370.
The nine targets struck under 'Operation Sindoor', four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, were chosen by the IAF after receiving intelligence inputs about terror camps operating under the guise of health centres to evade detection at these sites, officials said on Wednesday.
It was said that Sharif wanted the PML-N-led coalition government to utilise all available diplomatic resources to restore peace between the two nuclear-armed states, saying he was not keen on taking an aggressive position, The Express Tribune reported.
Pakistan Rangers violated ceasefire again by targeting Border Outs Posts with small arms and automatic weapons along International Border in Jammu district, prompting Border Security Force troops to retaliate.
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.
The state health department teams are conducting door-to-door surveillance in Badhal village, and the medical teams present in the district are monitoring the situation closely. The Medical experts have advised residents not to panic.
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.
Security forces have intensified search operations using aerial surveillance and sniffer dogs following a night-long cordon after fresh reports of suspected movement of three individuals, believed to be terrorists, who escaped a recent encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, officials said.
As part of the heightened security arrangements in view of Modi's visit, the officials said, the BSF and the police conducted a joint two-hour-long anti-tunnelling operation in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district.
Shots were fired at an Observation Post of the Border Security Force in Akhnoor sub-sector of Jammu district by Pakistani snipers on Sunday, prompting Indian troops to retaliate.
While six of them have been held from Punjab, five were nabbed from neighbouring Haryana, and one from Uttar Pradesh.
Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, an Indian Navy officer, was shot dead by terrorists while on holiday with his wife in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir. The attack took place just days after his wedding and the Navy confirmed his death in a statement. At least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed in the attack on Tuesday.
Pakistani wives of former militants rehabilitated in Kashmir have pleaded with the government to allow them to stay, stating they would rather die than return to their native country. The women, who came to Kashmir under a 2010 rehabilitation policy for former militants, have been asked to leave by the police. They say they have built lives in Kashmir and fear for the future of their children if they are forced to return.
Firing from across the border took place in several areas along the Line of Control and the International Border, drawing effective retaliation from the Indian troops, the officials said.
A series of deaths in a remote village in Rajouri district, Jammu and Kashmir, are not due to any disease, according to the Health Minister. Tests conducted by various institutions, including the ICMR, NCDC, and DRDE, have returned negative results. However, the minister has ordered an investigation into the deaths to determine the cause.
Security forces on Saturday extended the ongoing search operation to new areas after the body of the fourth policeman and two slain terrorists were recovered from the scene of a gunfight in a remote forested area in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
We had to evacuate 25,000 people without pressing panic button: IPL chairman Dhumal
Nine-year-old Tanuj Kumar Satpathy, who lost his father in the Pahalgam terror attack, says he wants to join the Indian Army and confront Pakistani terrorists. Tanuj's father, Prashant Satpathy, was among the 26 people killed in the attack on April 22. Tanuj says he will tell PM Narendra Modi to ensure that no child becomes fatherless like him. He recounted how he took care of his mother after the incident, saying that he was the only help for her when the tragedy struck.
Terrorists opened fire at a popular tourist spot near Kashmir's Pahalgam town on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly holidayers from other states, in what is the deadliest attack in the Valley since the Pulwama strike in 2019.
Pakistani troops on Friday fired on Indian forward posts along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir, said an officer of the Border Security Force. Pak Rangers fired on Border outposts along IB in Pindi forward area along IB of R S Pura belt of Jammu district around 9.35 am, the officer said.