Security forces on Friday launched a massive cordon and search operation in the forest area of Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a day after five army personnel were killed and two others injured in a terrorist attack.
For the ninth consecutive night, Indian and Pakistani troops engaged in small arms fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, continuing a pattern of heightened border tensions. The skirmishes, initiated by Pakistani troops in violation of the ceasefire agreement, have led to a tense situation along the LoC and International Border (IB). The incidents come in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which claimed the lives of 26 people, mostly tourists. Civilians residing near the border have begun preparing their bunkers, anticipating potential escalation. Despite a recent hotline conversation between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan, where India cautioned Pakistan, the ceasefire violations persist.
India has strongly condemned Pakistan's recent drone attacks on Indian cities and civilian infrastructure, calling it a "deranged fantasy" and a desperate attempt to deceive the world. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri also accused Pakistan of attacking religious sites, including a gurdwara in Amritsar, in an attempt to give a communal color to the situation. Misri criticized Pakistan's "blatantly farcical denial" of the attacks and said the country is resorting to disinformation tactics.
'Shashi Tharoor is destroying the history of India.' 'He is distorting facts about the Congress party.'
The Border Security Force (BSF) launched "Operation Sindoor" in retaliation to unprovoked firing and shelling by Pakistani Rangers along the International Border (IB) in Jammu. BSF troops destroyed three terrorist launch pads and targeted 76 Pakistani border outposts and 42 forward defence locations. The BSF action came after Pakistan launched heavy firing and shelling on 60 Indian posts and 49 forward positions, reportedly providing cover for an attempted infiltration by 40-50 terrorists.
An Army personnel died of a bullet injury from his own service rifle near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a police official said on Wednesday.
The recent ambush of an Army truck in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch bears a "striking resemblance" to a terrorist attack on a police vehicle in neighbouring Rajouri district 22 years ago, security officials have said, expressing serious concerns.
Pakistani drones were intercepted by Indian air defence in Jaisalmer. Explosions were heard and flashes seen in the sky.
The sources said two group of seven to eight terrorists, are believed to have engineered the attack.
Fourteen people were detained for questioning, officials said, adding that some of them have been let off.
An Army Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was killed in an encounter with terrorists along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir. The terrorists' infiltration attempt was thwarted, but the JCO succumbed to injuries sustained during the encounter. This incident comes after a recent brigade commander-level flag meeting between India and Pakistan to discuss border management, highlighting the ongoing security challenges in the region.
For the first time, the Data Security Council of India assembled a joint task force to source threat intelligence at the origin and ensure coordinated action across the cybersecurity spectrum.
Indian Air Force S-400 Sudarshan Chakra air defence missile systems were fired last night against targets moving towards India. The targets were successfully neutralised in the operation multiple domain experts told ANI.
The entire area has been cordoned off while drones and sniffer dogs are being used to sniff out the terrorists that might be hiding in the area, they said.
The development comes in view of twin terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district in which six people of a minority community including two children were killed and 11 others were injured.
He went on to say that even though this has not been discussed, he is going to 'increase trade substantially with both of these great Nations.'
The Border Security Force (BSF) remains on high alert along the International Border (IB) and has not let its guard down, BSF Inspector General, Jammu Frontier, Shashank Anand said on Tuesday. Operation Sindoor, aimed at preventing infiltration attempts, continues as Pakistan cannot be trusted, he added. Anand highlighted the BSF's robust response after the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, including destroying multiple terror launch pads and thwarting infiltration attempts.
The father of Murali Naik, a soldier from Andhra Pradesh who died during cross-border shelling in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch, said his son joined the Army despite his opposition as he wanted to serve the nation. Naik, a 23-year-old Agniveer, died in the line of duty on Friday. He was the primary breadwinner for his family, which has been living in Mumbai for the past 32 years. Naik's death has been mourned by politicians and officials, including Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
More than 40 persons have been detained for questioning as part of a massive operation currently underway to track down the terrorists involved in the Poonch terror attack, officials said on Monday.
The party in an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana' said even after the revocation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, violence continues in the Kashmir Valley and there is still no peace there.
To counter the threat and thwart the attempts of Pakistan-based handlers to spread terror in the peaceful areas of the region, officials said the Army, in close synergy with the police and the central armed police forces, has launched relentless operations in the vulnerable regions, especially in the dense forests.
They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the truck from the front before the other terrorists sprayed bullets and lobbed grenades on it.
Pakistani military targets at Rafiqui, Murid, Chaklala, Rahim Yar Khan, Sukkur and Chunian were engaged using air-launched precision weapons from Indian fighter jets and the retaliation largely focused on command and control centres, radar sites and weapon storage areas, Qureshi said.
Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, prompting a strong response from the Indian Army. The incident, which occurred in the Krishna Ghati sector, comes a day after two Indian Army personnel were killed in an IED blast near the LoC. The ceasefire violation is the fourth cross-border incident in five days and the first this year.
An armed guard of Qatal was also killed in the attack that took place on Saturday night.
The nine targets struck under 'Operation Sindoor', four in Pakistan and five in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, were chosen by the IAF after receiving intelligence inputs about terror camps operating under the guise of health centres to evade detection at these sites, officials said on Wednesday.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has started interviewing eyewitnesses, including tourists, in connection with the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, south Kashmir. The attack, carried out by terrorists from the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed the lives of 26 people on April 22. Initial investigations suggest that five to seven terrorists were involved, aided by local militants trained in Pakistan. Security forces are conducting massive operations to hunt down the terrorists in the dense jungles of the Pir Panjal range.
'We should not just react when a terror attack happens on our soil.' 'Our approach should be continuous and a launch pad should be destroyed the moment it comes up.'
'Whatever we do, the purpose will be to re-establish deterrence.'
India on Thursday night swiftly foiled Pakistan's attempts to hit various key Indian installations including military stations at Jammu, Pathankot and Udhampur with drones and missiles, the defence ministry said.
'Even known names and social media handles went berserk by stating that Karachi has been attacked and an F-16 was shot down.'
Meanwhile, a precautionary blackout has been enforfced in the multiple areas amid the esclating tensions between India and Pakistan.
Colonel Sofiya Qureshi revealed that 300 to 400 drones were deployed across 36 locations, with several being shot down by Indian forces using both kinetic and non-kinetic methods.
'There's a lot of sense in what Prime Minister Modi did, but the Indian government has to be really prepared for a really sharp escalation spiral.'
In a strong retaliation to the Pahalgam massacre, India's armed forces early Wednesday destroyed nine terror sites including that of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) using deep strike missiles in a 25-minute-long 'measured and non-escalatory' mission.
A total of 26 Army personnel, including three officers and five paratroopers, and seven civilians have been killed in eight terror attacks since October 11, 2021 in the twin districts.
'I am worried that Pakistan will still feel compelled to take substantive military action beyond this apparent drone activity.' 'If so, the crisis could persist for a while more and dangerous days are still ahead.'
The infiltrator was challenged by the troops guarding the Balakote sector in Mendhar sub division when he was trying to sneak into this side from across the border, the officials said.
An Army vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge near SK Payen in the north Kashmir district, they said.
The dastardly dimensions of the attack are gradually sinking in even as the Government of India announced its immediate diplomatic and other retaliatory measures. It is generally expected to be followed up with punitive military action across the LoC, sooner than later, observes Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the distinguished commentator on Kashmir affairs.
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