The Union Home Ministry has designated 23 individuals based in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) as terrorists under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for their involvement in infiltration, recruitment, logistics, financing, and operational planning targeting India.
The National Investigation Agency has arrested Jasir Bilal Wani in Srinagar, who was an "active co-conspirator" of suicide bomber Umar un Nabi, in connection with the car blast near the Red Fort last week that claimed 13 lives.
A 55-year old man who was critically injured in alleged security force beating in south Kashmir's Pampore last week succumbed to injuries in a hospital in Srinagar on Friday morning, taking the toll in the over four-month-long Kashmir unrest to 111.
Amir Rashid Ali, a key accused in the Red Fort area car bomb blast case, has been remanded in 10 days' NIA custody. The agency seeks to unravel the conspiracy behind the inter-state "white collar" terror module.
Political parties, cutting across affiliations and ideologies, Friday welcomed the Kashmir rail link inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hoping for a boost in trade and tourism in the valley.
The injured troopers of 50 RR were immediately evacuated to the local hospital at Pampore where one soldier succumbed while the other was referred by attending doctors to the army base hospital in Srinagar for specialised treatment. The two RR jawans were part of a road opening party," the officer said.
A cold wave has intensified in most parts of north India, with temperatures in the Kashmir Valley dipping below freezing point. The national capital saw a brief respite from the bitter cold during the day, but cold conditions persisted in parts of Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh. The weather department has issued a yellow warning for cold wave, ground frost and dense fog for some places in Himachal Pradesh. There is a possibility of rain and snowfall in parts of northwest India later in the week.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Stung by the death of a student in north Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday directed the power development department to put in all efforts to mitigate the hardships faced by the people in the valley owing to power shortage.
The terrorists are holed up inside the multi-storeyed government complex of Entrepreneurship Development Institute on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
Army on Tuesday said the situation in Kashmir Valley was alarming as militant handlers were desperately trying to strengthen their cadre base by way of infiltration and local recruitment besides planning to launch suicide attacks.
"As the security forces were busy searching the area, the militants in hiding opened fire triggering a gunfight which is on. So far one militant has been killed," the officer said.
A turnout of about 59 percent -- the highest in the past seven elections -- was recorded in the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, Chief Electoral Officer P K Pole said, adding polling passed off peacefully.
Two cops and a civilian were killed in another militant ambush on the Jammu Srinagar highway near Pampore in south Kashmir Pulwama district on Wednesday evening.
The militants hurled a hand grenade at the CRPF troopers, who were part of a road opening party, in Pampore town on the strategic Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
Seven paramilitary Border Security Force troopers including an officer were injured in a militant ambush in south Kashmir's Pampore town late on Monday.
Dar, a resident of Solina in Srinagar, was arrested by the Intelligence Bureau sleuths from the Gas Turbine terminal at Pampore in South Kashmir's Pulwama district Saturday evening.
"I had only one child and I gave him to the army, to the nation. No father can be prouder," Rajbir Singh, Captain Pawan's father said.
So far 14 Kashmiri Pandits have filed nominations to contest from the valley for the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, aiming to ensure the return and rehabilitation of their fellow community members, whose number run up to 3 lakh.
The nomination papers of 35 candidates including that of jailed separatist Sarjan Barkati were on Wednesday rejected during scrutiny for the first phase of assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving 244 contestants in the fray.
A suspected Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorist was killed on Thursday in a brief gunfight with security forces in a village in Pulwama district of south Kashmir, police said.
At least 25 persons were injured in clashes between protestors and security forces in Kashmir on Saturday.
Security agencies braced for a march called by separatists on Monday.
The separatist camp have called for an 'Aazadi march' to district headquarters on Saturday as part of their protest schedule.
Three policemen were injured when militants ambushed a police patrol in the south Kashmir's saffron-rich Pampore town on Tuesday evening.
An official said restrictions on assembly of four or more people also continued to remain force in rest of the Valley as a precautionary measure to maintain law and order.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi resumed his Bharat Jodo Yatra from Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday, a day after cancelling the foot-march in Anantnag district after the party alleged security lapse.
The attack came a week after eight CRPF jawans were killed and 20 others injured on Saturday in a militant ambush on a convoy in Pampore town in Pulwama district, the highest single-incident casualty in three years in the state.
Curfew from the south Kashmir town was briefly lifted on Saturday morning after remaining in force for 49 days.
The heightened militancy this year in Pulwama is receiving ground support with the local people posing maximum resistance to the forces.
Normal life remained crippled due to curfew and the shutdown call by separatists groups.
Army columns were deployed in the entire city, which saw widespread violence in Batmaloo and Maisuma locality resulting in the death of three people on Tuesday.
The suspect is believed to have already arrived in the valley.
The areas of Srinagar placed under curfew include police station in the jurisdiction of Rainawari, Nowhatta, Khanyar, MR Gunj, Safakadal, Parimpora, and police division Qamarwari and Bemina, a police spokesman said. Curfew has also been imposed in Pampore town of Pulwama district in south Kashmir and Baramulla, Sopore, Kupwara and Handwara towns in north Kashmir
Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in Samboora village of Pampore area following information about the presence of some terrorists there.
Body of Reyaz Ahmad, with a big perforation in the abdomen, was found outside Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital.
Burhan Wani, the top Hizbul Mujaheedin commander was the poster boy of the outfit and was active in south Kashmir.
Khawar Sultan Mir, a resident of the Drangbal area of Pampore in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, laid down his arms before the security forces during the encounter at Lalpora in Pampore, in which two terrorists were killed.
An army jawan was killed in the encounter that broke out between terrorists and security forces in the Kandi belt of Aglar area in Pulwama district in Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
