The second phase of the Lok Sabha election ended on Friday, April 26, 2024, for 88 seats across 13 states.
The manhunt for the terrorists responsible for the ambush in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, which resulted in the tragic death of five army personnel, has led to the detention of a truck driver and 50 others for questioning, officials said on Wednesday.
The first phase of the polls in the Kashmir Valley saw 8.3 per cent turnout on October 8 while only 3.4 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the second phase held two days later.
The army on Sunday ordered a Court of Inquiry into the terrorist attack on 16 Cavalry camp in Samba on September 26 in which its four personnel, including a Lt Col, were killed and two others, one of them a Colonel, injured.
The latest ceasefire violations -- the tenth and eleventh in less than a week -- has come a day after an Army jawan was killed when Pakistani troops opened fire at forward posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.
Photos of the World Cup closing ceremony
Christopher Samba continued his push to leave Blackburn Rovers on Friday, accusing the Premier League club's Indian owners Venky's of breaking their promises and "not understanding English football."
One paramilitary border security force trooper was killed and another critically wounded in unprovoked Pakistani firing on the international border in Samba sector of Jammu region late Wednesday morning.
In the backdrop of the night-long firing by Pakistan Rangers targeting civilians areas and BoPs, BSF troops and the Rangers on Friday held a commandant-level flag-meeting along International Border in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir, during which they impressed upon each other to respect the ceasefire.
A terrorist holed up in a border village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district was killed by security forces on Wednesday in a more than 15-hour operation during which his partner was also shot dead and a CRPF jawan lost his life, officials said.
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Thursday advocated shifting border residents of Samba district to safer places in view of travails they had to face during the recent heavy cross-border firing and shelling.He was on an extensive visit to border areas of Samba district to assess the situation arisen due to recent firing from Pakistan.
The three heavily-armed terrorists killed by the Border Security Force in Samba district had infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir to carry out a chain of terror attacks by blowing up running trains and tracks with chained IEDs and hard to detect liquid explosives, a top force official said on Wednesday.
'If, as happened in Baramulla during the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the youth in the Valley get triggered enough to jump into the wider fray, the end result would be difficult to predict, especially as the state's post-August 5, 2019 political format remains substantially fragmented and foggy,' points out Mohammad Sayeed Malik, the veteran commentator on Kashmir affairs.
3 pistols, 4 grenades, 6 magazines and 48 rounds were recovered from the drone-delivered package.
The terrorists opened fired and lobbed grenades at the Army camp in Meshwara area of Samba around 5:50 am, security officials said.
'The terrorists are using better technology to secure their communication.' 'It does appear that excessive reliance on technology led to a weakening of human intelligence.'
The DGP, along with additional director general of police (law and order) Vijay Kumar and Jammu zone additional director general of police Anand Jain, visited Jammu-based White Knight Corps and interacted with General Officer Commanding Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva, the army said.
In yet another instance of friction in an army unit, jawans and officers of an armoured unit were allegedly involved in a face off after a soldier committed suicide on Wednesday in the Samba district in Jammu and Kashmir.
Stepping up ceasefire violations, Pakistani Rangers on Friday night resorted to heavy mortar shelling and firing on 8 BSF posts along the Indo-Pak border in Samba and Kathua districts of Jammu and Kashmir, forcing a strong retaliation from the Indian side.
'The jungles of Doda covers about 250 km.' 'Sleeper cells are providing active help to the terrorists.' 'The terrain and situation is such that it is not possible to keep track of every inch.'
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday reviewed the functioning of security grid at a high level meeting in winter capital Jammu following the twin militant attacks on Thursday that left four army personnel including a lieutenant colonel, four cops and two civilians dead.
Officials said the BSF personnel manning the border outpost in Makwal came under fire from across the border, prompting a strong retaliation.
The troops busted a natural hideout in which a large cache of arms, ammunition and other warlike stores was recovered.
Several states have been reporting an uptick in the number of COVID cases over the last few weeks and nine states and Union territories have so far detected the presence of the JN.1 sub-variant of the virus.
Lakhs of voters will have to bear the searing heat when they step out to exercise their franchise in the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Friday.
There was no connection between the suicide of an army soldier and the stand-off between officers and jawans in an armoured unit in Samba sector in Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief Gen Bikram Singh said on Thursday.
Clowns on stilts, bongo-beating boys and flaming torches also greeted Ronaldo and his team mates in the southern city of Guangzhou as they arrived for Wednesday's friendly against China.
Pakistani troops opened firing at around 2240 hours at Kandral border outpost along the international border, drawing retaliation from Border Security Forces personnel triggering intermittent exchange of fire, which was on well past midnight, police said.
'The policy focus of the government should have been on creating more good quality jobs but that was not their focus.'
Dutch style and Brazilian flair no longer have a place at major tournaments such as the World Cup, Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said on Thursday.
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde arrived in Jammu for a day's visit on Tuesday to review the security situation in the wake of the increased ceasefire violations on the International Border by Pakistan.
In yet another ceasefire violation, Pakistan on Thursday again resorted to firing on Border Out Posts along the International Border in the Samba and Jammu districts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Hailing the Supreme Court's verdict upholding the government's decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution as "historic", Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted on Monday that it is not just a legal judgment, but a "beacon of hope" and a testament to the collective resolve to build a stronger and more united India.
Brazilian World Cup winner Ronaldinho will visit to Kolkata in October.
Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho on Sunday arrived in Kolkata on a two-day visit.
'90 per cent of India's population is vaccinated; they are immunised. We need not worry.'
Larger hospitals are not worried about a spike in cases, as they are now accustomed to converting ICUs and general wards into negative pressure zones or isolation rooms. For smaller hospitals, the task is tedious.
There are always attempts from across the border to push in more terrorists before the onset of winter and closure of tracks due to heavy snowfall, but the security forces are alert and would foil any infiltration bids, Border Security Force Director General Nitin Agrawal said in Srinagar Thursday.
The foot march started as per schedule around 7 am from Hiranagar near the International Border along the Jammu-Pathankot highway which was sealed by police and other security forces.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances