The army had to had to aim at the crowd when jawans claimed to have been fired upon from the other side.
Rawat conveyed to the family that forces stood with them in their hour of grief.
In a major blow to the commander of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Burhan Wani's close aide, Tariq Pandita, surrendered before security forces in south Kashmir on Saturday.
An army official said the slain youths were "hardcore terrorists" who used a lot of ammunition and grenades against the security forces during the encounter.
While we seem to want soldiers on short-term engagement, warfare itself is getting more technical and needs skilled manpower. The world has seen the dismal performance of armies that rely on short tour of duty soldiers or have outsourced war to 'contractors' in Afghanistan and now in Ukraine, points out Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
Rifleman Aurangzeb, who belonged to the 44 Rashtriya Rifles, was on way back home on June 14 to celebrate Eid when terrorists abducted him.
In an audacious move, 11 young Kashmiri militants donning army fatigues and holding firearms, posted their photographs on Facebook, forcing the security forces to sit up and take notice.
The protest was organised by All State Kashmiri Pandit Conference (ASKPC), whose delegation led by its president Ravinder Raina later submitted a memorandum to the Lt Governor G C Murmu, highlighting various demands with special thrust for return and rehabilitation in their homeland.
At least 11 people, including two army jawans, were killed while over 100 others were evacuated to safety as the unprecedented snowfall in March triggered avalanches and damaged over 150 structures including dozens of houses in Jammu and Kashmir.
Wani laid down his life during an anti-terror operation at Shopian in Kashmir in November last year.
'If I see anyone taking the wrong path, I will stop him or her.'
The PhD scholar is an active member of Jamiat-e-Talaba, the student wing of banned Jammat-e-Islami (JeI).
With three sarpanchs killed in December, many panchayat members are running scared and quitting their posts. Pervez Majeed reports.
Security agencies made a quick estimate of passports issued between 2015 and 2019, and found that out of the 40 youth who had gone to Bangladesh or Pakistan for studies, 28 had infiltrated back into the country as trained terrorists, the officials said.
Jammu and Kashmir continues to remain on a flood alert as most of the rivers in the state are flowing above the danger mark.
As many as 20 more youths have joined the terrorist groups in the month of May which included Rouf from Ganderbal, a fourth-semester student pursuing a diploma course in government polytechnic, the officials said.
The 3,064-page chargesheet, filed in a Jammu court under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and various sections of the Indian Penal Code, names self-styled commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen terror group Syed Naveed Mushtaq alias Naveed Babu and his alleged network of aides.
The encounter started when security forces launched a joint operation in Posta-Potra village in Gundana area, 26 km from Doda town, following information about presence of some terrorists, the officials said.
The first-ever district development council (DDC) elections will be held in eight phases to elect 280 members in 20 districts from November 28 to December 22.
Even as India battles the COVID-19 threat on a war footing, it cannot lose sight of the threat building up in Kashmir, cautions Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
Kashmir was indeed in need of a messiah that summer; 70 per cent of its population aged below 31 were up in arms against the Indian State. Every nook and corner of the land brought forth stories of youngsters with crushed bodies and an unfaltering spirit.
She said if somebody commits a mistake, he should be punished as such a course only brings laurels to the institution.
The General Officer in Command of south Kashmir-based Victor Force, Major General B S Raju, who visited Fayaz's residence on occasion of chahrum (the fourth day mourning), praised the "brave family" of the officer and said the army will always stand by them.
Local residents started pelting security personnel with stones, leading to clashes, they said, adding that some civilians were injured.
The fruits of election boycotts are harvested not only by the separatists but also by beneficiaries across the democratic divide, points out Mohammad Sayeed Malik.
Independent candidates have emerged as big winners in Jammu and Kashmir's maiden District Development Council polls, with 49 of them having been declared elected so far from 280 seats, putting them ahead of parties like the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
Pakistani troops again violated the ceasefire on the Line of Control in the Rajouri district of Jammu region on Saturday night.
Rajnath Singh repeatedly tried to calm her by tapping her when journalists asked questions about her role in dealing with the current unrest.
'Public spirited individuals and organisations should commemorate May 10 as Kashmir Solidarity Day by taking out candlelight marches and gathering at war memorials all over the country.'
'The occasion is not just to remember Lieutenant Fayaz, but also all those who have lost their lives in Kashmir defending the Republic,' says Colonel Anil A Athale (retd).
'The government, through the media, is saying that everything is normal in Kashmir, but I just want them to give this in writing and let a judicial commission see it.
The formal notification of handing over the case to the NIA is expected to be issued by the ministry soon, an official privy to the development said.
5 terrorists to LeT and Hizbul were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district of J&K.
Death was staring them in the face as flood waters rapidly rose and there were no rescuers in sight. Relief came only after the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and teams from the National Disaster Rescue Force swung into action with the needed equipment. And with that, dimming hopes soared up, says our correspondent Mukhtar Ahmad, who himself had a narrow escape in Srinagar.
On Monday, Colonel Rai had won the Yudh Seva medal. A day later, he fell to bullets.
The necessary formalities were being completed in Jammu as well as in the national capital before the probe agency, which has been credited with breaking the nexus between stone-pelters and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir, takes over the case, officials said.
In a statement, the MEA said, "The latest brutal killings of our security personnel by Pakistan-based entities and the recent release of a series of 20 postage stamps by Pakistan glorifying a terrorist and terrorism confirm that Pakistan will not mend its ways."
Apprehending attack by Pakistan's Border Action Team on forward posts and patrol parties in the run up to Republic Day, Army has sounded an alert along the boundary with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir.
The announcement comes days after senior journalist Shujaat Bukhari was shot dead in Srinagar.
'In one instance of the Pakistani army's violation of the Ceasefire, I ordered a far tougher response designed to deter the enemy.' 'I warned that 'unexpected damage' to their forces will be inflicted if they continued with such ceasefire violations.' A fascinating excerpt from Lieutenant General K Himalay Singh's Making of a General: A Himalayan Echo.
Fresh clashes broke out in curfew-bound Kashmir Valley on Saturday in which 30 persons, including 15 security personnel were injured, as protests against the Ramban killings on Thursday continued in Jammu and Kashmir.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances