News Analysis India

Tag: Jammu and Kashmir

  • ‘Corona’ curfew extended till May 24 in Jammu and Kashmir

    By PTI
    JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Saturday extended till May 24 the curfew imposed across the union territory to slow the spread of coronavirus.

    The curfew was scheduled to end on May 17.

    “The Corona Curfew imposed in all 20 distts (districts) of J&K till 7 am on Monday, 17/5/21 is extended further till 7 am on Monday, 24/5/21. The curfew will be strict except for a few essential services,” the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR) said in a tweet on its official handle.

    Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday recorded 3,677 fresh coronavirus cases, taking the tally of infected persons to 2,40,467, while the death toll in the union territory rose to 3,090 with 63 more fatalities in a 24-hour period.

    On April 29, the Jammu and Kashmir administration imposed curfew in 11 districts in a bid to tackle the surge in COVID-19 cases, which was subsequently extended to all the 20 districts the next day.

    The UT also witnessed a 34-hour curfew from 8 pm on April 24 till April 26.

    On April 8, night curfew was imposed from 10 pm to 6 am in the urban areas of eight districts, which was extended to the municipal and urban local body limits of all the 20 districts in the UT on April 20.

  • BSF recovers AK-47 rifle, pistol dropped by Pakistan drone in Jammu and Kashmir

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The BSF on Friday recovered an AK-47 rifle, a pistol and some ammunition dropped by a Pakistani drone from the border belt of Samba district in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

    The arms and ammunition cache was found wrapped in a yellow-coloured polythene and lying on the ground, they said.

    The recoveries included one AK-47 rifle, one 9mm pistol, one pistol magazine, 15 bullet rounds and a wooden frame used to support the payload of the drone, they said.

    The drone is suspected to have flown back into the Pakistani territory after it dropped the consignment, officials said.

    The Border Security Force guards the India-Pakistan International Border.

    Several similar incidents, in which arms and ammunition dropped by Pakistan drone has been reported earlier from areas falling along the IB in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts.

    The BSF had recovered bombs dropped by a drone along the IB in Jammu’s Samba sector on February 14, putting security agencies on high alert.

    The drone-dropped consignment had six pistols and 14 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with in-built magnets, which could be used as ‘sticky bombs’ by sticking them on vehicles and controlling them using a timer and a remotely-held device.

    On December 21 last year, the Punjab Police had seized 11 hand grenades, suspected to have been dropped by a drone from Pakistan, from a field near the IB in Gurdaspur district, officials said.

    On September 22 last year, an arms consignment dropped by a drone operated by Pakistan-based terrorists was seized in Akhnoor sector in Jammu district, they said.

    These included 2 packets containing two AK assault rifles, three magazines with 90 rounds and a pistol with two magazines and 14 rounds, officials said.

    The consignment was seized in a joint operation by the police and the special forces of the Army from Sohal Khad, located at an aerial distance of 13 km from the border.

  • ‘Corona curfew’ in Jammu and Kashmir extended till May 17

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: The government on Sunday has extended the coronavirus-induced curfew in all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir till May 17 in view of the consistent surge in infections and deaths in the Union Territory. 

    “The government has extended the corona curfew which was to end on May 10, in all 20 districts of J&K till 7 am on May 17,”an official spokesman said, further adding that the restrictions will be stricter and allow few essential services. 

    For marriages, only 25 persons are allowed in a gathering.

    With the extension of the curfew, this will be the second consecutive year when the lockdown will remain in force on Eid-ul-Fitr. 

    The state on Saturday recorded 60 deaths due to the virus which is the highest single-day toll. Close to 4788 new cases were added to the state tally. With this, there are 46535 active cases and 162535 recoveries. This apart, 2672 persons have succumbed to the virus in J&K (1139 in Jammu region and 1533 in Kashmir).

    The medical fraternity in the state has called for further extension of the strict lockdown to break the chain. The doctors have also advised the administration to utilise the lockdown period to launch a massive Covid vaccination drive.

  • Encounter begins in J-K’s Shopian, 4 Al-Badr terrorists trapped

    An encounter has started between terrorists and security forces here at the Kanigam area of Shopian district of South Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir Police said on Thursday.

    According to police, four newly recruited local terrorists of Al-Badr terror outfit are trapped in the Kanigam area.
    “Exercising maximum restraint, police and security forces are trying their best to persuade them to surrender,” the J-K Police said.

    On May 4, police neutralized two Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in an encounter at Nathipora area of Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

  • High COVID-19 caseload and low vaccine rate in Srinagar

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, is the district worst hit by Covid-19 in the UT and accounts for over 25 per cent of total cases in J&K. But  only 30 per cent of the 45-plus population has been vaccinated so far and it is the second lowest Covid vaccination percentage in the UT. 

    J&K on Tuesday recorded 4,650 cases and Srinagar accounted for 1311. Srinagar is the worst hit district by Covid-19 in J&K. Of the total 1,91,869 cases in J&K since the outbreak of Covid-19 last year, Srinagar accounts for 48,095. Srinagar district has the highest active cases in J&K. Its tally of active cases stands at 10,748, which is 28.8 per cent of the total active cases in J&K.

    In the last 10 days, cases in Srinagar have increased by 10,081 as the tally jumped from 38,014 to 48,095 cases. Srinagar also recorded 65 Covid deaths in the last 10 days. However,  the district is behind others as far as vaccination is concerned. Of the 24,54,605 doses administered in J&K to people above 45, only 1,66,224 were in Srinagar till May 3.

    This means only 30.14 per cent of this age group has been vaccinated. Professor and HOD, Community Medicine, GMC Srinagar. Dr Mohammad Salim Khan said the reason is people were initially reluctant. “People were hesitant and not coming forward.

    But the trend has changed and people are visiting vaccination centres. In Srinagar, it’s picking up,” he said.Initially, there were apprehensions since thi is the month of Ramadan. People thought taking vaccines may impact their fasting rituals. Religious leaders have since said that vaccination is alright.

  • Two LeT militants involved in murder of two BJP councilors and cop, killed in Sopore gunfight

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR: Two Lashkar-e-Toiba militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Sopore area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday evening. The militants were involved in the March 29 attack on the Municipal office in Sopore in which two BJP councilors and a police officer were murdered. 

    A police official said a joint contingent of police, CRPF and army launched a search operation at Nathipora area of Sopore in Baramulla district in the afternoon after receiving inputs about presence of militants there.

    He said that after plugging off all the possible escape routes, the security men zeroed-in on the target house, where the militants were hiding.

    Finding themselves trapped in the security forces cordon, militants fired on the troops to breach the cordon.

    The security men retaliated and in the ensuing gunfight, which continued till late evening, two Lashkar militants were killed, the police official said.

    The deceased militants were identified as a local militant Wasim Ahmed Lone R/o Sopore and a foreign militant Hamas alias Asrar alias Saria, who was active since March 2018 in north Kashmir. 

    According to a police spokesman, both the slain militants were involved in several planning and executing of attacks on security establishments.

    “Hamas was also the mastermind of March 29 militant attack on municipal office Sopore alonwith a local militant Mudasir Pandit alias Maaz,” he said.

    In the March 29 militant attack, two BJP Municipal councillors and a policeman were killed.

    The police spokesman said an AK-47 rifle, 1 Insas rifle and other incriminating materials were recovered from the encounter site.

    “The search operation is going on,” he said.

  • Announcement of financial incentives for Kovid warriors in Jammu and Kashmir

    J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday approved special financial incentives for the Kovid warriors of the Union Health and Medical Education Department of the Union Territory. He said that the border workers of the Department of Health and Medical Education have given valuable services in challenging Kovid epidemic to save the precious lives of the patients. Although the services provided by these Kovid warriors cannot be replenished, the Union Territory Government has decided to encourage their efforts.

    The incentives are specifically for frontline workers who directly serve Kovid-19 patients. The decision would benefit more than 17,000 Corona warriors, including resident doctors, medical officers, paramedical / nursing staff, drivers, and Class IV employees. The incentive amount will be Rs 10,000 per month for resident doctors, PG and medical officers, Rs 7,000 per month for nursing and paramedical staff and Rs 5,000 every month for driver, sweeper and attendant.

  • Jammu and Kashmir government sacks teacher without holding inquiry

    Express News Service
    SRINAGAR:  In a first, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has dismissed a school teacher from service saying it was in the interest of the security of the state.

    The government invoked Article 311 of the Constitution to terminate the teacher and no inquiry was held. 

    An order issued by General Administration Department states that “Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, after considering the facts and circumstances of the case, and on the basis of the information available that the activities of Idrees Jan, teacher, Government Middle School, Kralpora, Kupwara, are such as to warrant his dismissal from service.”

    “The Lieutenant Governor is satisfied under sub-clause (c) of the proviso to clause (2) of Article 311 of the Constitution of India that in the interest of the security of the State, it is not expedient to hold an inquiry in the case of Idrees Jan, Teacher, Government Middle School, Kralpora, Kupwara,” reads the order. It further states that accordingly, Lt Governor Sinha dismissed Idrees Jan with immediate effect.

    However, the government has not specified any reasons as to why he was dismissed. The dismissal of the teacher has come after the government, on April 21, constituted a Special Task Force (STF) under the chairmanship of additional director-general of police, Criminal Investigation Department to scrutinize the cases of employees suspected of activities requiring action under the proviso (C) of Article 311(2) of the Constitution.

  • J&K administration initiates probe into death of four COVID patients due to shortage of oxygen

    By PTI
    JAMMU: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has initiated an inquiry into the death of four people allegedly due to shortage of medical oxygen at a private hospital here, officials said on Sunday.

    Four people, including a woman, undergoing treatment at ASCOMS hospital for COVID-19, died last Saturday morning with one family alleging that the deaths were caused due to shortage of oxygen, a claim strongly denied by the administration as well as the hospital management.

    Financial Commissioner, Health and Medical Education department, Atal Dulloo has appointed Divisional Commissioner, Jammu Raghav Langer as inquiry officer and asked him to probe into the circumstances leading to the deaths at Acharya Shri Chander College of Medical Sciences (ASCOMS) and hospital, officials said.

    Meanwhile, the Divisional Commissioner has also constituted a three-member committee comprising director health services (Jammu), Director Industries and Commerce (Jammu), who is also member of a panel constituted last month to ensure adequate and timely supply of medical oxygen to hospitals, and Superintendent Engineer Mechanical Engineering department Jammu, the officials said.

    The three-member committee was formed to assist the inquiry officer during the proceedings of the probe, they said.

  • Two killed in factory blast in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua

    By PTI
    KATHUA/JAMMU: Two labourers were killed and another injured on Wednesday in an explosion at a zinc and copper factory in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir, a senior police officer said.

    The cause of the explosion, that occurred at around 12.45 pm, is being investigated, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kathua, R C Kotwal said.

    Charred bodies of two persons were recovered from the debris of the factory which went up in flames following the blast, he said.

    He said one more labourer was evacuated to hospital in an injured condition and admitted in Government Medical College (GMC) hospital, Kathua.

    Officials identified the deceased as Shakeel Ahmad (35) and Salman (22), both residents of Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh, and the injured as their associate Alam (19) of Muzaffarnagar.

    They said a boiler is believed to have exploded, causing the fire and the casualties.