The Kashmir valley observed a shutdown on Wednesday in protest against a terror attack that killed at least 26 people, mostly tourists, in Pahalgam. This was the first time in 35 years that the valley observed a shutdown for a terror attack. Organisations from all walks of life supported the bandh call, including political parties, socio-religious organisations, trade bodies, and civil society groups. Security has been beefed up across the valley, especially at vital tourist spots.
Pakistan's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that Islamabad will enter into an 'open war' with Kabul if the ongoing peace talks in Istanbul fail, TOLO News reported.
Three armed policemen were killed and five others injured when suspected militants belonging to Hmar People's Convention-Democracy attacked members of an assembly panel in Zokhawthiang in Aizawl district bordering Manipur, police said.
A suicide bomber struck an army barracks in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday, killing at least four soldiers and injuring 10 others, near the Line of Control. The bomber targeted barracks close to an army hospital at Tararkhal, over 90 kms from PoK capital Muzaffarabad, police said. There were over 35 soldiers in the facility located near the LoC when the attacker struck at 6.50 am local time. Police said the attacker detonated his explosives.
The Indian government has blocked 16 Pakistani YouTube channels for allegedly disseminating provocative and communally sensitive content as well as false and misleading narratives against India, its Army and security agencies. The decision was taken following recommendations from the Ministry of Home Affairs in the wake of the April 22 terror attack at Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam in which 26 people, mostly tourists, were killed.
Militants have been attacking the Ind post in Udhampur district ever since security forces gunned down a Hizbul Mujahideen 'divisional commander' Amanullah Pir in March.
'The White House lunch that Trump hosted for Munir last year came just after Munir returned from a visit to Iran, at a moment when Israel and Iran were at war.' 'Trump said after that lunch that the Pakistanis know Iran very well. He likely views Munir as a useful interlocutor that can give helpful insights on Iran.'
Pakistan and China have submitted a joint bid at the UN Security Council to designate the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and its suicide wing - Majeed Brigade - as a terrorist entity under the Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee.
The proscribed ULFA(I) claimed drone and missile attacks on its camps along the Myanmar border by the Indian Army, resulting in casualties. The Indian Army has not confirmed the incident. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma denied state police involvement.
The taxi which was hit by the suicide bomber was parked in a parking area of Eidgah market. Five shops and several vehicles were also destroyed in the incident.
Suspected militants fired grenade and opened fire at a police camp in Shopian township of South Kashmir on Tuesday killing a police officer and injuring three others, making it a major offensive in the town that had just returned to normalcy after weeks of unrest following the alleged rape and murder of two women in May.
Biren Singh relinquished the post on February 9 last year amid rumblings within the state BJP seeking a change of leadership in strife-torn Manipur.
One paramilitary Border Security Force trooper was killed and two others wounded in a militant ambush in summer capital Srinagar on Thursday morning.
Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi announced that the suicide bomber involved in the deadly Islamabad bombing was an Afghan national. The announcement follows a suicide bombing in Islamabad and another attack in South Waziristan.
Police said militants sprayed a volley of bullets from automatic weapons at the vehicle of Yugal Manhas, sub-divisional police officer Mendhar, near the local police station.
'Pakistan's only concern has been while they were on the FATF watch list was to distance their State institutions and organs from any direct connection with the actual execution of militancy inside Kashmir.'
A well planned hit and run strike by the militants has injured seven paramilitary troopers, two of them critically, in summer capital Srinagar.
Pakistan's decision to boycott its Twenty20 World Cup match against India has drawn widespread support from fans and administrators who hailed the move as a long-overdue stand in a rivalry in which sport and geopolitics have collided.
"At about 9.15 pm, a police party at Mirgund in Pattan signalled a cab to stop but two militants inside the vehicle started firing, which was retaliated," a police official said.
Pakistan has deployed army and paramilitary forces to protect Sri Lanka's cricket team after a deadly suicide bombing in Islamabad raised security concerns during their ongoing tour, the interior minister said on Thursday.
The 'key person' involved with the plan is still absconding, though the police have his whereabouts and he will be nabbed soon, Sarma said.
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.
Pakistan responded to what it called 'unprovoked' attacks by Afghan forces in border areas, destroying several Afghan border posts, training camps, and terrorist hideouts, security sources said on Sunday.
When everyone has footage and no one can verify it, the loudest voice wins, notes Prem Panicker who begins a daily blog on the War in the Middle East.
Lawyer Ujjwal Nikam says that while justice has been delivered to some victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, their conspirators are still hiding in Pakistan. He criticizes Pakistan's handling of the trials of those arrested and calls for action against masterminds like Hafiz Saeed and Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
The Tigers refused to forgive Douglas Devananda and tried to assassinate him repeatedly. He later said: "(LTTE chief Velupillai) Prabhakaran cannot kill me." Destiny proved him right.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday paid floral tributes at the city police headquarters to those who made the ultimate sacrifice while fighting terrorists during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Manipur government's security advisor Kuldiep Singh on Thursday said the current locations of the three state police commando units in violence-hit Moreh town were unsuitable, making them vulnerable targets.
The Pahalgam attack in Jammu and Kashmir impacted tourism, but recovery efforts are underway with government initiatives and events to promote the region and boost MICE tourism.
The dead were identified as belonging to Punjab province. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
'If she hadn't left Bangladesh, the militants had planned on killing her'
The Supreme Court has questioned the NIA regarding the detention of Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Ahmed Shah in a terror funding case, asking the agency to justify his detention for over six years.
A British think-tank specialising on Pakistan's security issues has said that the chances of Islamabad's nuclear assets falling into the hands of tribal militants have increased as most of the arsenals are located in the restive north-western parts of the country.
Two special police officers and a constable were killed when terrorists attacked the state guard at the residence of a local political leader in north kashmir's Sopore town late on Tuesday evening.
Militants on Friday attacked the busy Budshah chowk area in Srinagar triggering a heavy exchange of fire with security forces in which eight people, including four media persons, were injured.
Soon after the explosion, the BLA militants started firing at the train indiscriminately.
The Arambai Tenggol has been a focal point of controversy, with Kuki representatives blaming the organisation for exacerbating violence.
The Congress leadership is reportedly upset with former Home Minister P Chidambaram for his remarks on 'Operation Blue Star'. Party sources indicate that senior leaders should be cautious about making public statements that could embarrass the party.
