'India will always remain indebted for their supreme sacrifice. Entire nation and Modi government stands firmly with their families in this hour of grief. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured,' he said.
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled the former state of Jammu and Kashmir did not have any 'internal sovereignty' that was distinguishable from the powers and privileges enjoyed by other states in the country.
Bodies of all the five soldiers were flown to their home towns after the wreath-laying ceremonies, the spokesman said.
An almost complete communications blackout has been imposed in Kashmir since August 5 after the Narendra Modi-led government moved to scrap the region's special status. Kashmiris outside the state are most affected by the inability to contact their families back home and not knowing what's happened to them. Umar Ganie listens to some voices of anguish, even anger.
42 terrorists, 7 civilians and 15 security personnel have lost their lives since May 15.
'In times to come this will be considered a watershed event, but only if the establishment can see the flag which is up and the straws in the wind which are flying,' says Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
The COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020 and the subsequent restrictions due to the virus spread had cast a grim shadow on the festive mood of all the festivals across the country for the past two years.
A huge cache of incriminating material and explosive substances, including gelatin sticks, explosives, detonators, arms, explosive body vests, batteries and nitric acid, were recovered following searches based on their disclosures.
A local court on Saturday issued an arrest warrant against former Jammu and Kashmir junior health minister Shabir Ahmad Khan allegedly involved in sexual assault on a doctor in Srinagar.
A woman, who was injured when security forces opened fire in Handwara town of north Kashmir to quell a stone-pelting mob, succumbed at a hospital in Srinagar on Wednesday.
There were no reports of anyone getting hurt in these clashes.
Authorities on Thursday placed the moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference Chairman Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq under house arrest to scuttle a rally called by the separatist group.
More than 100 people have died in rain-hit Jammu and Kashmir, which is witnessing its worst flood in 50 years.
'His (the Pakistani terrorist's) aim was to enter the mosque, engage with the security forces, stir religious sentiments of the people and create a law and order problem. But we will not let them to succeed in that.'
Rediff.com's Umar Ganie talked to some of the protesting students in Srinagar.
'The wave of terrorism is over in Kashmir. Local people do not support it.'
Police said unknown number of terrorists barged into the Jammu and Kashmir Bank branch at Rantipora in Pulwama district.
Minimum temperatures have plummeted below the freezing point across the Kashmir Valley, but pilgrims from all over India can be seen taking a dip at Shadipora located at the confluence of the Jhelum river and Sindh stream in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir these days.
Among those abducted included brother of a deputy superintendent of police.
There has been firing by Pakistani troops along the LoC in Nowshera sector since 8:45 am, a senior army officer said.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is also a honorary Lt. Col in the Indian Army, appreciated the school's contribution for the visually impaired children.
Authorities imposed restrictions in several downtown localities early Saturday, as separatists called bandh against the beef ban hit life in Srinagar and elsewhere.
"Militants in combat uniform barged into the guard room of TV tower at Dalvash in Dooru area of Anantnag district around 12.30 am and overpowered the cops guarding the installation," the police official said.
The services were stopped last evening as a precautionary measure.
Concerned over the development, the security agencies reworked their strategy, especially keeping in mind the Amarnath Yatra beginning June 30.
Nine people, including two government school teachers, were arrested on Tuesday in Reasi district in connection with an alleged attack on a police party which had arrested a criminal wanted in a rape case, police said.
The people behind the killing of a police sub-inspector in Khanyar locality in Srinagar have been identified and will be brought to justice soon, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief Dilbag Singh said on Sunday.
Kashmir is reeling from a heat wave after the valley earlier this week witnessed the second-hottest September day in recorded history, causing hardships to locals and tourists alike.
Clashes between protesters and law enforcing agencies were reported from Sopore, Anantnag, Rajpora, Shopian towns and Safakadal area of the city.
The team originally comprised 27 parliamentarians, mostly from extreme right or right wing parties, but four did not travel to Kashmir and have reportedly returned to their respective countries, officials said.
Refuting rumours allegedly being floated from across the border, the Jammu and Kashmir Police also released four videos through its Twitter handle to show that 91-year-old Geelani was laid to rest as per the rituals in the intervening night of September 1 and 2.
The strike affected attendance in government offices and banks, the officials said.
The Omicron variant of COVID-19 is in the community transmission stage in India and it has also become dominant in multiple metros, where new cases have been rising exponentially, said Indian SARS-CoV-2 Genomics Consortium.
It is learnt that the sympathisers of the Taliban who are targeting India are now active.
General Bipin Rawat was appreciative of the measures and standard operating procedures instituted by the units and formations to meet the challenges posed by the inimical elements.
Five militants were killed in a day-long fierce gunfight in frontier north Kashmir Kupwara district on Saturday.
Those familiar with intricate Kashmir politics do not rule out further delay in the assembly elections. Primarily, because the BJP having 'invested' so much for so long in Kashmir would try its best to wait a little longer if only to secure the 'gains' it believes to have achieved after its deafening action on August 5, 2019, points out Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the veteran commentator on Kashmir affairs.
'There is a huge wait in Kashmir for compassion from the prime minister of India.'
The terrorist, identified as LeT's Asif Maqbool Bhatt, was killed in a brief encounter in Sopore in the valley's Baramulla district, police said.
A militant ambush near the highway of Qazigund town in south Kashmir's Kulgam district left 4 Central Reserve Police Force troopers injured on Saturday evening.
