Heavy Pakistani shelling in the border district of Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir left nine people dead and 28 injured. The shelling, described by residents and officials as "barbaric and cowardly", started around 2 am, damaging dozens of residential houses, shops, vehicles, and heritage sites. The incident comes after India launched "Operation Sindoor" in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. India condemned the act, calling it a cowardly attack on civilians, and reaffirmed that civilian safety remains its top priority.
In a heinous terror attack, two Indians were killed while one was abducted in the Dosso region of Niger, as noted by the Indian Embassy in Niger.
The houses of two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists allegedly involved in the Pahalgam attack were destroyed in Jammu and Kashmir in a blast on Thursday night. Security forces were conducting searches inside the houses of Adil Hussain Thokar and Asif Sheikh when the explosives already kept inside the houses went off.
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.
Voting for this crucial phase, covering 40 assembly segments across seven districts -- Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua in the Jammu region and Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir -- is scheduled for October 1.
Villagers living near the International Border and Line of Control in Jammu are on high alert following the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, preparing underground bunkers and accelerating crop harvesting. The incident has heightened security concerns despite a renewed ceasefire agreement between India and Pakistan in 2021. Residents are demanding swift action against the perpetrators and their handlers.
Four recent encounters in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district have exposed the route used by terrorists to infiltrate into India from across the International Border (IB), a senior police officer said. The successful recovery of huge quantities of arms and ammunition, including explosives, after the gunfights has scuttled a major plan of the terror groups to carry out a major strike in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian government has dismissed claims of a suicide attack on an Army brigade in Jammu and Kashmir and a drone attack in Punjab as "fake news." The Press Information Bureau's Fact Check Unit found the claims to be false and attributed the spread of disinformation to coordinated efforts by certain social media handles and mainstream media in Pakistan. The government urged citizens to rely on verified sources and refrain from sharing unverified content.
Kabir, the son of Col Manpreet Singh, who was killed fighting terrorists in Kashmir, believes his father will return home after receiving the Kirti Chakra. The 10-year-old boy, who lit his father's pyre 19 months ago, clings to the hope that his father is alive and well, despite the reality of his death.
The Indian Army effectively repulsed multiple drone attacks and other munitions launched by Pakistan's armed forces along the western border on the intervening night of May 8-9. Pakistan also violated ceasefire along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir. The Indian Army said it responded with force, asserting that all nefarious designs will be countered.
Two terrorists were killed on Wednesday as an infiltration bid was foiled along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district, officials said. The Army said the infiltration bid was foiled in Uri Nala of the north Kashmir district. The troops on the LoC challenged and intercepted the infiltrators, resulting in a "heavy" firefight, the army said. Large quantity of weapons, ammunition and other war-like stores have been recovered from the terrorists, it said, adding, the operation is in progress.
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 in Panjtirthi area of Kathua.
Two more persons have been apprehended in Assam for "sympathising with Pakistan, taking the total number of arrests to 58 so far in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
Incidentally, 164 of the total 356 candidates in the fray from the 43 assembly seats of Jammu region got less votes than none of the above, which gives an option to voters to reject all candidates in a constituency.
The Supreme Court of India dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking safety measures for tourists in remote hilly areas of Jammu and Kashmir, criticizing the petitioner for seeking publicity without a genuine public cause. The PIL was filed in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, mostly tourists. The court stated that the petitioner had a history of filing similar PILs primarily for publicity.
While the Indian Army made no mention of any casualty on the Pakistan side, official sources said five enemy soldiers were injured in the explosion and the subsequent firing between the two sides.
Here is a chronology of terror incidents in the region this year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday flagged off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Katra town and Srinagar city, reducing travel time between the two places by two to three hours and ensuring all-weather surface connectivity with the Kashmir valley.
The Press Information Bureau has debunked a video of an Indian Army jawan claiming that the Pahalgam terror attack was orchestrated by the Indian Army and Indian government.
In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had carried out searches at Padgha as part of a nationwide crackdown on the terror outfit ISIS and arrested several persons, including Nachan.
The Royal Challenger's Bengaluru parade in celebration of the team's maiden Indian Premiere League win in 18 years turned into tragedy as at least 11 fans died and several were injured in a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.
One of the two cases was registered by NIA's Delhi branch in 2021, and the other was lodged by the anti-terror agency's Jammu branch in 2022.
Meanwhile, a precautionary blackout has been enforfced in the multiple areas amid the esclating tensions between India and Pakistan.
To support tourists affected by the attack or in need of information, Jammu and Kashmir police set up a dedicated help desk at the Police Control Room.
A terror attack on tourists in the Pahalgam area of south Kashmir's Anantnag district has left several injured. Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the attack and vowed to bring the perpetrators to justice. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also condemned the attack, calling it an abomination. Several political leaders from the region have denounced the attack and called for a thorough investigation. The attack has raised serious questions about the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, with the incident being described as the most unfortunate and shameful act by the JKPCC.
"As long as PoK exists, terrorist activities will continue. I request Prime Minister Narendra Modi that if Pakistan does not hand over PoK, we must declare war against them," Athawale said, calling for another surgical strike against the neighbouring country.
Punjab and Rajasthan, which share borders with Pakistan, have gone into full alert mode following India's retaliatory missile strikes on nine terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). Punjab Police has cancelled leaves of all its personnel and shut schools in six border districts, while Rajasthan has also cancelled leaves of administrative officials and police personnel deployed in the border areas and closed schools in four border districts.
Three Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were killed when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a 500-metre deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir's Ramban district on Sunday. The Army truck was part of a convoy moving from Jammu to Srinagar along national highway-44. The accident occurred near Battery Chashma at around 11.30 am. A joint rescue operation was launched immediately by Army, police, State Disaster Response Force and local volunteers. The deceased were identified as Naib-Subedar Sujeet Kumar, driver Amit Kumar and sepoy Man Bahadur. The crash has reduced the vehicle into a mangled heap of metal. Preliminary investigation suggested that the accident was caused by a technical glitch in the vehicle.
The intruder, who is in his early 20s, was taken into custody by Army troops soon after he entered into this side from across the LoC.
Local residents said a migrant labourer was injured in the incident, while a few houses in the area also sustained damage. Parts of the unidentified object were lying in the area, they said.
The National Stock Exchange (NSE) chief Ashish Kumar Chauhan expressed deep sorrow over the tragic terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that claimed the lives of 26 people and the bourse pledged Rs 1 crore to the next of kin of the victims.
Metal debris was found scattered in three villages of Amritsar district, with some locals claiming them to be parts of missiles. Police are investigating the objects, while the Indian government claims to have foiled Pakistan military's attempts to attack 15 places in northern and western India using missiles and drones. Tensions between India and Pakistan have escalated after India launched missile strikes on terror targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 killing of 26 people by terrorists in Kashmir's Pahalgam.
The AFSPA, often criticised as a draconian law, gives armed forces operating in disturbed areas sweeping powers to search, arrest and open fire if they deem it necessary.
Pakistan military spokesperson Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry told a hurriedly called press conference in Islamabad at around 4 am that th Pakistan air force's Nur Khan (Chaklala, Rawalpindi), Murid (Chakwal) and Rafiqui (Shorkot in Jhang district) airbases were targeted.
The Border Security Force on Friday said it has killed seven terrorists who were trying to infiltrate from across the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu, and also destroyed a Rangers post.
Sinha said the inauguration of the Kashmir rail service has connected the hearts of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country and will pave the way for the economic prosperity of the region.
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.
The Indian and Pakistani militaries targeted each other's installations using missiles in the last over 12 hours, further escalating the already tense conflict situation.
Debris resembling parts of a missile was found in a field in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, while metal parts of unidentified objects were discovered at two locations in Bathinda, sparking panic among locals. The incidents come after India successfully thwarted Pakistan's attempts to target military installations with drones and missiles across the country.
Days after the Pahalgam terror attack, Jammu and Kashmir authorities have deported 59 Pakistani nationals, including the mother of Shaurya Chakra awardee Constable Mudasir Ahmad Sheikh. The Pakistani nationals were living in the valley for decades and were transported to Punjab for repatriation. However, the mother of the deceased soldier was later allowed to stay back. The deportation comes after the Indian government announced a slew of measures against Pakistan in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, including the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty and the downgrading of diplomatic relations.