Tag: Kashmir terrorism

  • ‘Stay indoors’, J&K Police tells locals as forces go for final kill in Poonch forest

    By IANS

    JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday asked people not to move towards the forest area in J&K’s Poonch district where an encounter is going on between the Army and the militants for the last 8 days.

    Police made appeals to people through public address systems in mosques in the Bahatdhurian area of Poonch, urging them not to move towards the jungle and keep their livestock inside their premises.

    “These announcements were made after some people were seen moving towards jungle along with livestock amid ongoing encounter in the area.

    “People can contact police any time and we are in the service of public 24X7. We will ensure home delivery of anything needed by them urgently,” a police officer said.

    Police did not agree that these announcements were being made because the Army was preparing a major offensive against the militants hiding in the jungle area.

    Defence sources said six militants have been killed in the 8-day-long operation against the militants in the area.

    Nine soldiers, including two JCOs, have also been killed in this operation.

    Army chief, M.M. Naravane visited the area on Tuesday along with senior field commanders.

  • 78 terrorists neutralised by security forces so far in 2021: IG  (Kashmir Zone) Vijay Kumar

    By ANI
    SRINAGAR: With two local terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar on Friday, IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar said that a total of 78 terrorists have been neutralised in the valley so far this year.

    With todays ops, Police along with SFs #neutralized 78 terrorists in valley this year so far. In these #encounters most of the #terrorists were affiliated with proscribed #terror outfit LeT( 39 out of 78) followed by HM, Al-Badr, JeM and AuGH: IGP Kashmir@JmuKmrPolice
    — Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) July 16, 2021

    “Two (a total of two) local terrorists belonging to Lashkar-e-Taiba were killed. With today’s operation, police along with security forces neutralised 78 terrorists in the valley so far this year,” said Kumar in a statement issued today.

    He further said, “In these encounters, most of the terrorists (39 out of 78) were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT followed by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Al-Badr, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Gazwat-ul-Hind.”

    ALSO READ| Two militants killed in encounter with security forces in J&K

    Earlier in the day, the Kashmir Zone Police had said that two unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces at Alamdar Colony, Danmar area in Srinagar today. A search operation is currently underway, it said. Further details are awaited, it added.

    The Kashmir Zone Police in a tweet said, “#SrinagarEncounterUpdate: 02 unidentified #terrorists killed. #Search going on. Further details shall follow.” The police had said earlier that an encounter broke out at the Danmar area in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar in the wee hours on Friday.

    “Encounter has started at Alamdar Colony, Danmar area of Srinagar. Police and security forces are on the job,” the Kashmir Zone Police had tweeted.

  • Terrorist groups, their handlers trying to shift focus from Kashmir valley to Jammu: Jitendra Singh

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Terrorist groups and their handlers were trying to shift the focus from Kashmir valley to the Jammu region, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Saturday.

    He called for the “highest level of vigil” on the part of the security forces and alertness among the general public in the wake of these developments.

    This and other issues were discussed during a meeting between Jammu and Kashmir’s Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh and the minister during their meeting here, officials said.

    The police chief also briefed the minister about the security situation in the Union Territory.

    Jitendra Singh said that the security forces had earned all-round appreciation for the way they had thwarted some major terror incidents in Jammu recently.

    He, however, noted the “recent phenomenon” of terrorist groups and their handlers trying to shift the focus from Kashmir valley to the Jammu region including the Jammu city, the officials said.

    This calls for the highest level of vigil on the part of the security forces and at the same time, alertness and awareness among the general public, Singh said.

    The Minister of State for Personnel conveyed his appreciation for some of the major recent breakthroughs and achievements of the Jammu and Kashmir police and the par-military forces.

    At the same time, he expressed concern over the selective terrorist attacks like the one on the son of the owner of popular Krishna Dhaba in Srinagar.

    The DGP informed the minister that within 24 hours all the three culprits, including the shooter involved in the attack on the Krishna Dhaba proprietor, have been nabbed.

    Aakash Mehra, the son of the Dhaba owner, was shot at from a close range and critically wounded on Wednesday evening.

    The Muslim Janbaz Force, a terror outfit that was active in the early 1990s, had claimed responsibility for the attack.

    Dilbagh Singh thanked the minister for his support in expediting at the Centre the process of the promotion of IPS officers of J-K.

    He also sought the minister’s intervention for ensuring early and expeditious completion of the induction of officers of the Jammu Kashmir Police Service (JKPS) into the IPS.

    Jitendra Singh assured the DGP of the Centre’s full cooperation in carrying out timely empanelments and induction.

    Unfortunately, he said, the delay had happened on account of irregular cadre reviews done by the erstwhile state government of Jammu & Kashmir.

    Singh recalled that even the induction of Jammu & Kashmir Administration Service (KAS) officers into IAS as well as the increase in the number of vacancies could not take place in time even though he, as well as the Union Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), had in the past repeatedly written letters to the then state government.

    The minister regretted that in some cases even the toppers in civil services selection hailing from Jammu and Kashmir could not get their home state or Union Territory cadre because of the absence of vacancies.

    He expressed confidence that under the Lieutenant Governor’s rule, it would be possible to address all these issues which had accumulated during the earlier governments.

  • Terrorists still retain ability of attacks in Jammu and Kashmir: Army

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: A top army officer on Thursday said the terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir still retain the ability to carry out attacks despite improvement in the overall security indicators and reduction in estimates of terrorist numbers to nearly 200 in the Union Territory.

    General Officer Commanding, Chinar Corps, Lt Gen B S Raju also said the edifice of counter-terror operations still requires a grid deployment to ensure security to the citizens residing in Jammu and Kashmir.

    “Overall, the security indicators have improved. However, the terrorists still retain the ability for a terror act,” Lt Gen Raju told the foreign envoys who visited the headquarters of the 15 corps at the Badami Bagh Cantonment here.

    The visiting envoys interacted with Lt General Raju and other senior officers including Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar.

    The envoys were briefed by the police and army representatives on the ground situation at the Line of Control (LoC) and in the hinterland.

    The police briefing included an update on the efforts on ‘mainstreaming the youth’ and ‘policing under COVID-19 challenges’ followed by an Army briefing which included a historical update and the current situation in the JK, an Army official said.

    He said the event concluded with a question-answer session wherein the heads of missions asked questions to Lt Gen Raju.

    In response to the queries, the Corps Commander elucidated the multi-pronged and integrated approach of the Indian Army and police in Jammu and Kashmir.

    On being asked about the status of various terror organisations, the Corps Commander shared that last year most terror organizations have experienced depletion in their strength and killing of the group leaders which has resulted in a more secure environment.

    He explained that despite estimates on the number of terrorists reducing to nearly 200, the edifice of counter-terror operations still requires a grid deployment to ensure security to the citizens residing in the UT.

    “International experiences including in Afghanistan proves the need for boots on the ground in counter terror operations,” he said.

    Lt Gen Raju said while grassroots politics is taking roots, the terror organisations’ effort to target political workers is a worry.

    “It is a clear message that Pakistan-sponsored elements do not want a change to the status quo. Any activity that leads to normalization of the situation is opposed,” he said.

    The Corps Commander also drew attention to the propaganda efforts of Pakistan and the separatists and said Kashmiri citizens have seen through the lies of the cross-border propaganda and are choosing to ignore it.

    On being queried about de-radicalisation efforts, the Corps Commander said the principal supporters in such efforts are the parents, society elders and friends who help in identification of youth vulnerable to radical ideology.

    A joint civil society and government effort is made to counsel and support such an identified youth, he said.

    The official said the visiting envoys expressed satisfaction at the soft policing being attempted in Jammu and Kashmir.

    On being queried about the role of NGOs in supporting the government’s efforts, the Corps Commander said many local and national NGOs are helping the government in its efforts in JK in diverse fields including drug abuse, women empowerment and imparting skills to the youth.

    “The national NGOs bring in skills, technology and help in building cross-regional linkages, which would prove invaluable in the long term,” he said.

  • JeM planned terror attacks in Delhi; terrorists sourcing weapons from Bihar: DGP Dilbag Singh

    Malik was arrested on February 6 by the Anantnag police from Kunjwani in Jammu district while Rather was apprehended on February 13 from Bari Brahmana area of Samba district.

  • 221 terrorists neutralised in J-K, stone-pelting incidents dropped to 327 in 2020: MoS G Kishan Reddy

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The law-and-order situation in Jammu and Kashmir is improving with a reduction in the number of violent incidents in the Union Territory and development works going on, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said in Rajya Sabha on Monday.

    He said stone-pelting incidents in the Union Territory have come down to 327 in 2020 from 2,009 in 2019 and the number of terrorists neutralised has gone up to 221 in 2020 from 157 the previous year.

    Reddy said ceasefire violations from Pakistan have increased.

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    “Jammu and Kashmir is on the development path. People of Jammu and Kashmir are not asking for Article 370. People of J-K want development and employment for youth.

    “Pakistan frequently tries to infiltrate and violates ceasefire to stop construction and development work,” he said.

    The minister said 127 people were injured from ceasefire violations in 2019 but that dropped to 71 in 2020.

    ALSO READ | Rajya Sabha passes Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill

    There were 216 infiltration attempts in 2019, but it has reduced to 99 in 2020, he said.

    Terrorist violence also reduced to 244 in 2020 from 594 in 2019, the MoS Home said.

    Stressing that development works in Jammu and Kashmir were progressing in the right direction, Reddy said that two AIIMS-level super-speciality hospitals were being built in the Union Territory with an outlay of Rs 2,000 crore each while cancer hospitals were being set up in Jammu and Srinagar.

    “Jammu and Kashmir has received the entire Rs 881 crore of the allocated amount under the Prime Minister development programme,” he said, adding two cancer institutes have been approved in Jammu.