A top Pakistani commander of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) who was active in the Valley for several years was killed and four security personnel were injured in an encounter in the Khanyar area of Srinagar on Saturday, officials said.
Tourism to Kashmir has survived at full strength after a weekend hotel attack that killed 5 Indian visitors, as thousands of people flock to the scenic Himalayan region, an official said Monday.
The paramilitary had cut down the use of these vehicles for anti-Naxal operations drastically to a 'bare minimum' after they were targeted in improvised explosive device blasts in the Left Wing Extremism-hit areas.
The Kashmir Valley, where normal life was disrupted for eight days due to the agitation to end the 'economic blockade', limped back to normalcy on Tuesday following the separatists' decision to suspend the strike for three days. The separatists had decided to suspend the strike for three days to provide relief to students, labourers and other sections of the society who were hit by the shutdown. Vehicles and business establishments perched black flags atop their buildings.
Singh, 31, and Rashid, 56, won the recent Lok Sabha elections from Khadoor Sahib in Punjab and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, respectively, as Independents while being incarcerated.
Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com comes across a Ganesh temple in Kashmir's summer capital that remains a well kept secret.
Official also said the recent escalation in targeted terrorist violence would not lead to any change in plans for holding the annual Amarnath Yatra which is scheduled from June 30-August 11.
The grenade blast which killed a protester took place at Brakpora village in Anantnag district of south Kashmir.
In a first train mishap in Kashmir Valley, at least 20 passengers were injured when a Qazigund to Srinagar train derailed at Sadhora village in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday afternoon.
Early Thursday morning, people in various localities of Srinagar poured out onto the streets staging protests against alleged human rights violations in Kashmir.
After nearly a week, curfew was lifted on Sunday in the entire Kashmir Valley in view of the situation remaining generally peaceful but prohibitory orders have been imposed in Baramulla, Anantnag and Pulwama districts besides some parts of Srinagar, officials said.
The panel had first visited the Valley in October after which it had recommended an immediate ban on use of pellet guns by security forces.
A bright sunny day and rise in night temperature brought some respite from cold in most parts of the northern India except Kashmir valley where the mercury dipped further.
The latest developments from the violence-hit valley.
The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the second day on Saturday even as fresh snowfall across Kashmir prompted authorities to issue an avalanche warning in higher reaches of the Valley.
The new strategy was evolved after the Pakistan-based groups found it difficult to carry on as the sympathy factor among locals was missing. The IB says by provoking the security personnel into killing civilians, they hope that the mindset of the locals change completely
The Centre and state governments have shied away from highlighting the ISI's attempts to displace Hindus and create corridors of sympathetic demography to further their designs especially along the communication arteries from Jammu to the Kashmir Valley.
Security forces on Saturday killed three terrorists, including two who had allegedly snatched rifles from policemen in Kulgam district earlier this week, in separate operations in Shopian and Sopore areas of Kashmir valley. Acting on specific information, security forces on Friday night launched a search operation in Lehend-Habdipora area of the Shopian district, 52 kms from Srinagar, officials said.
After two men -- who were working Kashmir -- were murdered by terrorists in Shopian district, south Kashmir, the security machinery in the Valley commenced the difficult business of tracking down the killers.
The escalating situation in the Kashmir valley is the vanguard actions of global jihad, says Brigadier S K Chatterji (retd). And in this battle, he believes, perception management operations will be just important as operations to neutralise the terrorists.
'There is a sustainable level of residual terrorism that will be difficult to handle as long as Pakistani support and safe havens are available.'
Tourists and locals enjoy the snow sculpture of the Taj Mahal created by a hotel in Gulmarg to promote tourism in the Kashmir Valley.
Udit Narayan, who recently shot for a music album in Kashmir, says the Valley continues to mesmerise.
A shutdown is being observed in many areas of south Kashmir's Anantnag district for the second consecutive day.
Normal life in the Kashmir Valley was severely affected due to a strike call given by hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani against the continued arrests of youths.
Journalists working in the Kashmir valley sometimes face the worst attacks from protesters, mourners and many a time from the security forces, says Photographer Umar Ganie.
Pressure is mounting for a resolution to be moved in the assembly when it meets next week for its maiden sitting to demand 'restoration of Article 370 and Article 35A' as committed in the National Conference's election manifesto, reveals Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
Locals inspect the house where two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists were hiding and killed during an encounter in Soura Srinagar on Friday, May 27, 2022.
Normal life was on Thursday disrupted in Kashmir Valley due to a strike called by separatist groups to protest against the "proposed plans" to establish Sainik Colony, settlements for migrant Kashmiri Pandits and induction of new industrial policy in the state.
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, chairman of the moderate faction of the All Party Hurriyat Conference, had an exclusive chat with the readers of rediff.com on Wednesday, September 22, where he spoke about the rationale behind the separatists' renewed war cry for azaadi.
Even after SC directions, the administration has not restored mobile internet services for Kashmir division. It said misuse of data services by anti-national elements has the potential to cause large-scale violence and disturb public order.
