News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

  • Four soldiers injured as Indian Army foils infiltration bid along LoC in J&K’s Baramulla

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Four soldiers were injured as the Army foiled an infiltration bid along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, officials said on Monday.

    The Army launched a counter-infiltration operation along the LoC in the Uri sector in north Kashmir on Saturday after noticing suspicious movement, they said.

    “Four soldiers were injured in the exchange of firing with infiltrators from across the LoC in Uri,” the officials said.

    The infiltrators were challenged by the Indian Army soldiers, leading to a gunfight, they said.

    The officials said four soldiers were injured in the exchange of firing between the two sides over the past two days There were unconfirmed reports of one infiltrator being killed in the operation, but there was no official word on it so far.

  • Former Jaish militant arrested in J&K’s Kishtwar after 20-year hunt 

    By PTI

    JAMMU: A former Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant on the run for 20 years was arrested Sunday in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

    Bashir Ahmad alias Jaffar Khan, a resident of Nowgam village, was wanted in a 2001 abduction and murder case in the jurisdiction of police station Marwah, a police spokesman said.

    Ahmad becomes the fourth absconding militant arrested by police in the district since September 15.

    Before him, Nazir Ahmad, who was absconding for 12 years, was arrested on September 15.

    Two days later, police had arrested Abdul Gani alias Mavia who was on the run for 19 years.

    Dulla alias Jameel was arrested on September 25 after a long 20-year hunt.

    The spokesman said police, acting on specific information, arrested Bashir Ahmad after raiding suspected locations in the Marwah area.

    A local court has sent him to judicial custody, he said.

  • Videos of verbal spat between two Jammu and Kashmir BJP leaders go viral

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: A verbal duel broke out between two BJP leaders at a party meeting here shortly before Union Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s arrival on Saturday.

    Videos of the verbal spat, some recorded by reporters present at the BJP’s office in Jawahar Nagar, went viral on social media.

    Minutes before the Union minister’s arrival, an argument broke out between BJP leaders Ali Mohammad and Mohammad Ashraf.

    Bjp Leader Ali Mohammad and Bjp leader Mohammad Ashraf abusing each other at Jawahar Nagar party office….Watch Video….Courtesy: Gulistan TV pic.twitter.com/zviOnu808m
    — Kashmir News Trust (@knewstrust) September 25, 2021
    The argument became intense and two leaders were stopped by others present there from getting into a fistfight, according to the videos.

    Media personnel present at the venue filmed the duel on their smartphones and the videos of the incident were posted on several social media platforms.

    A party leader said there was an argument over a ‘non-issue’ which turned into an altercation, but the other party leaders promptly resolved the matter before the Union minister’s arrival.

    Scindia addressed party workers at the BJP office.

  • Centre disempowering people of Kashmir, says PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Friday said the Centre was ‘disempowering’ the people of Jammu and Kashmir and suspecting them for having alleged links with militants is the new excuse used to ‘dispossess and humiliate’ Kashmiris.

    She was reacting to the recent termination of six government employees on charges of alleged anti-national activities.

    “No end to GOIs farmaans for disempowering people of J&K. Contrary to GOIs tall claims of getting investment to create employment they are deliberately laying off gov(ernment) employees despite knowing that people in J&K rely on government jobs for their livelihood,” Mehbooba wrote on Twitter.

    She said “hounding” Kashmiris endlessly deflates the Centre’s “fake narrative that all is well in J-K”.

    “Links to militants is the new excuse used to dispossess & humiliate Kashmiris,” she said.

  • Intel alert warns of ‘spectacular terror attack’ in J&K during Modi’s US visit

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Terror groups are planning to carry out a ‘spectacular’ attack in Jammu and Kashmir to coincide with PM  Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Joe Biden, according to the latest inputs received by intelligence agencies. Highly-placed sources said that terror groups are attempting to carry out a fidayeen attack against a senior police officer or target a government installation. 

    The Prime Minister reached Washington on Thursday on his three-day visit to the US. “Pak-based terror groups are trying to learn newer techniques of attacking our forces from terrorists based abroad,” a senior security official said, referring to the nexus between anti-India terror groups such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and the Taliban. 

    The officer added that there was a growing concern about the potential of terrorists planting an IED around a flag pole as was done in Israel. He further added that the troops on the ground were asked to prepare drills and techniques, including use of bomb detecting dogs to detect such booby traps.

    All units of the Central Reserve Police Force and Jammu and Kashmir police were put on high alert following a series of intelligence inputs about the ‘spectacular’ attack in the coming days, sources in the security establishment said. 

    Urban areas in J&K, whose security is taken care of by the CRPF, is particularly on the crosshairs of the terror outfits. Those guarding vital installations, residents of government functionaries and minority pickets have been directed to remain ever vigilant.

    The intelligence agencies also have received specific inputs that terrorists may already have done recce for the attack that they are planning to carry out a few days ago, this newspaper has learnt.

  • Pregnant lady found dead with throat slit in Jammu and Kashmir’s Banihal

    By PTI

    BANIHAL: A pregnant woman was found dead with her throat slit in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district on Thursday, police said.

    “Police received an information from reliable sources that one pregnant lady namely Zubaida Begum was found lying in a pool of blood with her throat slit at her home at Darshipora this morning,” they said.

    Consequently, a team from Banihal police station was immediately dispatched and top police officials reached the spot.

    Sensing some mischief, police has taken cognisance in this regard and a case of murder has been registered at Banihal police station, they said.

    The investigation is underway and all possible angles are being explored to find out if any foul play has happened, they added.

  • Army foils infiltration bid near LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla, three terrorists killed

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The Army on Thursday foiled an infiltration bid near the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district, killing three terrorists and recovering a cache of arms and ammunition, officials said.

    “We noticed some suspicious movement in the Hathlanga area near the LoC. The infiltrators were challenged and three of them were killed,” an Army officer said.

    He said a large cache of arms and ammunition, including five assault rifles, seven pistols and grenades, were recovered.

    Briefing the media at the Army’s Chinar Corps headquarters here, General Officer Commanding Lt General D P Pandey said there has been increased activity at the launch pads on the other side of the LoC recently.

    “While there was no infiltration since the beginning of the year, there has been a little activity at the launch pads which cannot happen without the knowledge of Pakistan army commanders,” he said.

    Lt Gen Pandey said this was evident from the infiltration bid that was foiled on Thursday as well as the one in the Uri sector on September 18-19.

  • Terror alert issued in Jammu and Kashmir before festive season

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Intelligence agencies have issued a terror alert regarding the cross-border movement of Afghan-origin terrorists along with Pakistan-based terrorists in the Jammu and Kashmir region to execute terror activities in the country during the upcoming festive season.

    According to Intelligence agencies, they have got the input regarding the movement of Lashkar-e-Taiba, Harkat ul-Ansar (HuA) and Hizbul Mujahideen. The Pakistan-based terror organisations are helping Afghan-origin terrorists to enter India.

    “After Taliban took over the government in Afghanistan, we have got the input regarding the movement of Afghanistan based terrorists entering India with the help of Pakistan-based terrorist organizations which are backed by ISI,” said an official.

    Agencies have got the input that around 40 such terrorists are stationed at a terror camp in the Nakyal sector of Pakistan near the Line of Control (LoC). They have been trained to enter Indian by crossing the Poonch River. They are trained to cross the river through tubes and snorkelling, added the official.

    “We have got the inputs that these terrorist are trained in making Tiffin bomb. The raw material will be provided to them through sleeper cells active in India. All agencies concerned, the state police and paramilitary have been issued alert about the intel inputs,” added the official.  

  • Army soldier dies by suicide in Jammu and Kashmir

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: An Army soldier killed himself in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.

    Lokinder Singh of the Army’s 6 Rashtriya Rifles allegedly shot himself with his service rifle at a camp in Keran sector near the Line of Control around 10.30 pm on Wednesday, the officials said.

    Singh was rushed to the nearest military health facility where he was declared dead on arrival.

    It was not immediately clear as to why the soldier took such an extreme step.

  • Hit & run is new tactic of terror groups in J&K

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Terror groups, diminished by a spate of anti-terror operations, have changed their tactics from fighting pitched gun battles with security forces to hit-and- run attacks. Government data accessed by this newspaper shows a remarkable increase in attacks against security forces in the form of grenade lobbying and IED plants. 

    At a time when some reports have indicated a flow of arms from Afghanistan to Jammu and Kashmir, this could be a worrying trend for Security Forces, an internal assessment by the Ministry of Home Affairs reveals. In terms of percentage, the IED attacks in Kashmir Valley during January-September have increased by about six times compared to corresponding period last year. As of September 15, seven IED attacks were reported in J&K while the number was only one last year. 

    There has also been a jump in the number of IEDs seized and defused this year, according to a report submitted to MHA. As many as 38 IEDs have been defused by security forces so far whereas last year till September 15, the number was 28. The number of IEDs seized has gone up to nine from three last year in the corresponding period. 

    As of September 15, the Valley has already seen 43 incidents of grenade attacks whereas the number of such incidents was 31 till September 15 2020. The number of standoff firing incidents has increased too, with 35 such incidents reported in J&K so far this year.  

    Officials in the security establishment said the increase in grenade attacks is a clear indication of high recruitment by terror groups in the Valley. Carrying grenade attacks is one of the first tasks given to test the ability of new recruits by terror groups.  Worryingly, MHA data shows a total of 305 youths, including 272 from Kashmir, went missing, as of July-end this year. Security agencies believe at least 82 of them have joined terror groups, with 42 being recruited by LeT. 

    The number of civilians killed due to incidents of stand-off firing, grenade and IED attacks by terrorists has shot up majorly. Till September 15, 2020, no civilian was killed in IED attacks but this year such attacks have claimed two lives. Grenade attacks have claimed 47 lives this year, a jump of 70 per cent. Seven people have been killed in standoff firings where in 2020 the figure stood at two as of September 15. Security forces are also concerned by a spate of electric detonators being recovered. As of September 15, 19 such devices were recovered by security forces.

    ‘Emboldened by the Taliban’s takeover of Af’The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan seems to have had an effect on the anti-national elements in J&K, a senior security official said, adding that calls of ‘hartals by subversives’ have grown. “The Taliban’s rise has emboldened the terror groups but security forces are well-prepared to deal with any contingencies. We are actively monitoring suspicious movements and activities,” a security officer said.