The earthquake epicentred in the Hindukush mountain range in Afghanistan struck at around 2.40 pm, sending ripples across several states like Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi- National Capital Region, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.
The field intelligence units of the Army coupled with inputs comprising HUMINT (human intelligence) and TECHINT (technical intelligence) indicate that around 300 terrorists, mainly of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), are waiting across the border to sneak in, officials said, citing reports from Srinagar collated in the national capital.
Claiming taxes collected from the south were being distributed to north India and that the former were not getting their due share, Congress MP D K Suresh on Thursday said the southern states will be forced to demand for a separate nation if the 'injustice' was not rectified.
'We are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea'
Two officers -- Lt Colonel Mukesh Jha and Major Amardeep Singh -- are among the five injured army personnel.
Anjali quickly decided not to pursue her career in medicine. If she had worked in a government hospital, she would have had to do her fair share of nights and weekends in hospital, which would have been tough when Sachin was back in Bombay between tours. Had she worked in private practice as Dr Anjali Tendulkar, she reckoned she would be consulted for her name rather than her expertise. Anjali is an all-or nothing person and she couldn't have just dabbled in doctoring. Moreover, she wanted to devote herself to keeping her husband in the right frame of mind to play his best cricket. A fascinating excerpt from Annabel Mehta and Georgina Brown's book, My Passage to India.
Security forces have been deployed in strength in sensitive and vulnerable areas to maintain law and order.
The launchpads across the Line of Control in Kashmir valley are abuzz with activity, with around 60 to 80 terrorists, believed to be Afghan returnee mercenaries, receiving training with a possible push expected during summer months, officials in Srinagar said.
Eleven more people died in Uttar Pradesh as the intense cold wave sweeping north India maintained its firm grip over the region with Kargil town in Jammu and Kashmir freezing at minus 16.4 degrees Celsius.
'The West has always opposed a strong nationalist leader in India and Narendra Modi is no exception.' 'The West prefers weak leaders who are amenable to Western pressure and Mr Modi's independent stance is not to the liking of the West,' asserts Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
There were no restrictions on the movement or assembly of people anywhere in the Valley.
Curfew continued to cripple the Valley for the tenth day.
The deceased have been identified as Major K P Rane, hawaldars Jamie Singh and Vikramjeet and rifleman Mandeep.
The body of Sehrai, 77, was handed over to his family on Wednesday evening and taken in a police escort to Kupwara in north Kashmir, at least 350 km from Jammu, where he would be buried at his ancestral graveyard in accordance with the COVID-19 guidelines.
An exchange of fire between terrorists and security forces was also reported from Keran sector.
In a major blow to terror infrastructure and terror sympathisers in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, security forces have eliminated key launch commander Bashir Ahmad Malik in an anti-infiltration operation in the Uri sector, the army said on Thursday.
The bench said the statements made by Bhim Singh may not be 'relevant judicially' but they may be 'relevant politically'.
Weapons and other incriminating material were recovered from the spot.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said the agenda of the new political outfit would be to struggle for the restoration of J and K's statehood and to fight for the job and land rights of people.
"Last time I stood, I was not allowed to speak. The ruling party paid a very heavy price for throttling the voice of one MP," she said, referring to her suspension in the last session.
The National Security Strategy document should flag all major issues concerning security strategy and provide guidelines to concerned departments to work out suitable action plans. Since the global and regional geopolitical canvas is dynamic, the NSS document should be deliberated at length before formulation and should be reviewed periodically, recommends Commodore Venugopal Menon (retd).
'This verdict means that if there is presidential rule anywhere in any state of India, that state can be dismembered and from a state can be downgraded to a Union territory.'
'Manipur is critical to India's Look East policy.' 'It's a strategic state. In the Second World War, the Japanese entered Manipur through Burma.' 'China can use the same direction to approach India.'
The separatist Hurriyat Conference is finished in Jammu and Kashmir but attempts are being made to keep it alive from Pakistan, Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said on Monday, adding that the militancy in the region is "on crutches".
The matter was expected to be discussed in the Security Council Consultations Room under "other matters" during closed consultations Tuesday afternoon.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at a low of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius.
Couples -- young and old -- celebrated Valentine's Day on Tuesday with flowers and gifts even as a few right-wing outfits played spoilsport in some parts of the country.
Indian Army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag on Saturday said the attack on Uri camp in north Kashmir's Baramulla district was a desperate attempt by militants to disrupt the democratic process in the state.
He said the identity and group affiliation of the slain ultras is being ascertained.
The annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath began on Saturday with over 7,000 pilgrims trekking the 17-km northern Baltel route.
Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in strength across the Valley for strict implementation of the prohibitory orders.
In a major arms haul, alert Indian army troops recovered 40 weapons from near the Line of Control in the Farkian Gali area of north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday.
Security forces have recovered a Chinese-made M-16 assault rifle from the three militants killed Thursday during an anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control in Uri, with the Army describing the recovery as "unusual".
The JCO was injured in the firing at around 1.30 pm and was taken to a military hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries, they said. The civilian, Mohmmad Rashid has been shifted to GMC hospital in Jammu for specialised treatment, the officials said.
Search operations were on in the area.
