A search operation by a joint team of security forces is underway to track down three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in a forested area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said on Friday.
India's recent missile strikes on nine terrorist locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), including Bahawalpur, mark a significant escalation in the long-standing military tensions between the two nations. This article provides a historical overview of the Indo-Pak military confrontations, tracing their roots back to the 1947 war following India's independence and the partition of the sub-continent, and highlighting key conflicts such as the 1965 war, the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, the 1999 Kargil War, the 2016 Uri attack, and the 2019 Pulwama attack.
Major Syed Moiz Abbas Shah, 37, was killed on Tuesday in a clash with the Taliban militants in the Sararogha area of South Waziristan near the Afghan border, according to a statement by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the army.
The attacks against the Pakistani air force have taken them at least five years back and caused great damage to them and their Chinese and Turkish inventory of weapons.
People along the Line of Control and International Border in the Jammu region continue to live under the shadow of death, with unexploded mortar shells fired by Pakistani troops still embedded in farmlands and residential areas even though hostilities have stopped for nearly a week. IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: / Rediff.com Despite the May 10 understanding between India and Pakistan, locals describe the border areas as a 'death trap'. Sixty-two-year-old Balvinder Singh, who returned to his home in Pargwal sector on May 14, recounted a narrow escape. "Two shells exploded in our compound, damaging our house. Three more landed on our farmland. We were terrified and told our family to stay away from the fields until the Army could help," Singh told PTI. Army engineers later came to the village and safely defused the unexploded shells, bringing a temporary sense of relief. "Fear is writ large on the faces of people to these death traps in border hamlets", he said. Scenes of destruction are evident rooftops torn apart, broken houses, windows punctured by shrapnel, and carcasses of cattle lying in pools of blood. The acrid smell of gunpowder still lingers in the air. Sardar Gurmeet Singh faced a similar ordeal. His family could not re-enter their home as a live mortar shell had sunk into the compound in a village close to the International Border. "The army's bomb disposal squad removed it after four days, allowing us to finally enter, back home," he said. Indian Army engineers have launched a sweeping clearance operation across border districts, defusing over 80 unexploded shells in the past five days -- including 6 in Pargwal, 19 in Rajouri, 42 in Poonch, and 12 along the IB. "These shells, mostly 120 mm calibre, have a range of 15 to 30 km and pose a serious threat to both civilian and military targets," an Army officer said. "Many of them were fired by Pakistan during recent hostilities." On May 7, the Indian Army launched Operation Sindoor, conducting precision strikes on nine terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people, most of them tourists. The subsequent retaliation by Pakistan pushed the region to the brink of war. From 7 to 10 of May, 27 civilians were killed and over 70 injured in Pakistani shelling in the Jammu region. Farid Din Gujjar, a resident near the border, expressed fear about returning to his fields. "Several shells created deep craters in our paddy land. We cannot resume work until all unexploded ordnance is cleared. It's a death trap," he said. Army units, in coordination with Jammu and Kashmir Police, have evacuated high-risk zones and issued stern warnings to residents not to touch any suspicious objects or unexploded shells. In one major operation, 42 live shells were safely destroyed in the Poonch villages of Jhullas, Salotri, Dharati and Salani. "All safety protocols were followed. The shells posed a serious danger to local lives," an Army spokesperson said, calling the effort a 'continued commitment to protect civilians and restore normalcy'. Poonch saw the vast majority of deaths due to shelling. Security officials said that Pakistan used a mix of mortar shells, armed drones, and missiles during the shelling spree, specifically targeting civilian habitations and border towns in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Poonch. As clearance operations continue, the border residents are slowly returning to their homes, but with caution, fear, and lingering uncertainty about shelling that may yet happen in the future.
The Instagram accounts of leading current and former Pakistani cricketers were blocked in India on Friday.
The Bombay High Court acquitted all 12 accused in the 2006 Mumbai train blasts case, citing a failure by the prosecution to prove their guilt and raising serious concerns about the investigation and evidence presented.
'It was inspired by the Hamas attack and was like their attack -- well planned and well executed.'
Hundreds of residents along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir were evacuated to safer zones after Pakistani shelling following Indian airstrikes on terror targets in Pakistan. The shelling killed 12 people, including four children and two women, and injured over 50. The evacuations come amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that left 26 civilians dead. The government has provided temporary shelter for those evacuated.
'Five hours of bombardment by the Pakistanis should not have happened.' 'India should have sent the air force to bomb the Pakistanis where they were raining fire on us.'
The foremost lesson for India today is to beef up its air defence to cater for multiple drone attacks. As seen in Operation Sindoor, we have come a long way, but there's room for getting better. We must develop a robust and almost impregnable air cover over ourselves, asserts IAF veteran Air Commodore Nitin Sathe (retd).
Pakistani drones were intercepted by Indian air defence in Jaisalmer. Explosions were heard and flashes seen in the sky.
A Meerut woman, married to a Pakistani national, was denied entry to Pakistan at the Wagah border after she presented her Indian passport. She was accompanied by her two children who hold Pakistani citizenship. The authorities permitted the children to cross but Sana refused to separate from them, resulting in her return to India.
The delayed timing of J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha's admission has more to do with deflecting the thrust of the Opposition attack on the prime minister and Union home minister during the monsoon session of Parliament, points out Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
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 delegation will now head to Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia, where they are expected to arrive on Sunday. Member of the delegation, Brijesh Chowta left earlier for Ljubljana.
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.
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.
The reopening brought a sense of relief to students, teachers, and parents across the region.
'When so many young Baloch men and women are willingly volunteering as fighters and even suicide bombers.'
Sri Lankan police searched a flight arriving in Colombo from Chennai after receiving a tip that a suspect linked to the Pahalgam terror attack could be on board. The search was conducted in coordination with local authorities following an alert from the Chennai Area Control Centre. The aircraft was thoroughly inspected and cleared for further operations.
While six of them have been held from Punjab, five were nabbed from neighbouring Haryana, and one from Uttar Pradesh.
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.
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.
The Pakistan Super League (PSL) next year is set to clash with the high-profile Indian Super League as the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) is mulling to hold the event in the same window as the IPL.
In the letter issued, considering the last night attacks by Pakistani forces in Jammu and Jaisalmer regions, the provision also authorises the use of local authority funds for such emergency measures, giving them precedence over other financial obligations.
Police on Tuesday said they have started recording statements of people associated with the controversial Veera Sathidar memorial programme held on May 13 in Nagpur, where the poem was recited, while an official informed investigation into the case was at a sensitive stage.
People in several districts of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Gujarat spent an anxious night as authorities enforced blackouts amid heightened tension between India and Pakistan.
A team from India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has reached Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir to assist local police in investigating a deadly terrorist attack that killed 26 people, mostly tourists, on Tuesday. The NIA team visited the site of the attack, Baisaran meadow, known for its scenic beauty. Security agencies have released sketches of three suspected Pakistani terrorists involved in the attack, identified as Asif Fauji, Suleman Shah, and Abu Talha. The Resistance Front (TRF), a shadow outfit of the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist group, claimed responsibility for the attack.
'No military offensive by Pakistan will end the insurgency in Balochistan without simultaneous, concerted efforts toward political dialogue to de-escalate tensions.'
The casualties were reported hours before India and Pakistan agreed to end hostilities, which soared after the Indian Armed Forces hit terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir earlier this week in response to the Pahalgam attack.
Meanwhile, a precautionary blackout has been enforfced in the multiple areas amid the esclating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Amid concerns of espionage, the Rajasthan administration has intensified security measures along the India-Pakistan border, with authorities in Jaisalmer and Sri Ganganagar banning the use of Pakistani SIM cards.
The visiting personnel will also ascertain difficulties, if any, being faced by the "families of our war heroes", he said.
The father of a BSF jawan detained by Pakistan Rangers after inadvertently crossing the international border in Punjab has said that the family is anxiously waiting for his return. The jawan, P K Sahu, was taken into custody on Wednesday after he reportedly walked ahead to rest under a tree and inadvertently crossed over into Pakistan territory. The commanding officer of the jawan's battalion has said a flag meeting is being held to secure his release.
Raj Kumar Thapa, additional district development commissioner, Rajouri, and his two staff members were seriously injured when an artillery shell hit his official residence in Rajouri town, the officials said.
India imports goods worth over Rs 1,200 crore from Turkey annually, including a significant share of fruits like apples.
The government on Thursday told an all-party meeting that the Pahalgam attack was carried out to vitiate the atmosphere at a time when the economy of Jammu and Kashmir was on the upswing and tourism was booming. Briefing reporters after the meeting chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union minister Kiren Rijiju said all parties said they were with the government and against terror. The party leaders were briefed by Intelligence Bureau (IB) and Union Home Ministry officials on the steps being taken to prevent the recurrence of such incidents, Rijiju said. Home Minister Amit Shah, present in the meeting, interjected wherever required as officials briefed MPs, according to sources. At least 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed and scores injured when terrorists shot them in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday asked border villages residents, who were evacuated to safer places in view of cross border shelling by Pakistan, not to rush back to homes as they are yet to sanitise and clear these areas of any unexplored shells.
In a significant breakthrough, the Malerkotla Police apprehended two individuals for alleged involvement in espionage activities linked to a Pakistani official posted at the High Commission in New Delhi, said Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) on Sunday.