Tag: Pakistan occupied Kashmir

  • Army foils infiltration bid, kills three terrorists along LoC in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch

    By PTI

    JAMMU: The army foiled an infiltration bid and gunned down three terrorist in an encounter along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Thursday, officials said.

    While the body of one of the terrorists was recovered by soldiers, bodies of the other two, lying across the LoC, were taken back by villagers of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), they said.

    “At about 1000 hours today, alert soldiers of the army observed suspicious movement of some individuals along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector (J-K), wherein they were trying to infiltrate across the Line of Control into the Indian side,” a defence spokesman said.

    The soldiers challenged the infiltrators who opened fire on them, he said.

    In an ensuing fire fight, three terrorists was killed, the officials said.

    Body of one of the terrorists has been recovered along with two AK-47 rifles, a pistol and war-like stores, the spokesman said.

    The villagers in PoK carried back the bodies of the other two terrorists, the officials said.

    The operation continues and a search of the area is underway, the defence spokesman said.

    JAMMU: The army foiled an infiltration bid and gunned down three terrorist in an encounter along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Thursday, officials said.

    While the body of one of the terrorists was recovered by soldiers, bodies of the other two, lying across the LoC, were taken back by villagers of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), they said.

    “At about 1000 hours today, alert soldiers of the army observed suspicious movement of some individuals along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector (J-K), wherein they were trying to infiltrate across the Line of Control into the Indian side,” a defence spokesman said.

    The soldiers challenged the infiltrators who opened fire on them, he said.

    In an ensuing fire fight, three terrorists was killed, the officials said.

    Body of one of the terrorists has been recovered along with two AK-47 rifles, a pistol and war-like stores, the spokesman said.

    The villagers in PoK carried back the bodies of the other two terrorists, the officials said.

    The operation continues and a search of the area is underway, the defence spokesman said.

  • Decision on PoK should have been taken during 1971 Indo-Pak war: Rajnath Singh 

    By PTI

    SHIMLA: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that decision on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) should have been taken during 1971 war between India and the neighbouring country.

    The defence minister said this while addressing a function to honour martyrs’ families at Badoli in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

    “We have recently marked the Golden Jubilee of victory of 1971 war. The 1971 war will be remembered in history as the war fought for humanity instead of property, possession or power,” Singh said.

    “There is only one regret. The decision on PoK should have been taken at that time itself,” he said.

    Singh also attended a similar function at Nadaun in Hamirpur district.

    In Kangra, Singh also shed light on the Centre’s unwavering resolve to make the country ‘Aatmanirbhar’ and the progress achieved due to the measures taken to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.

    “Earlier, India was known as a defence importer. Today, it is among one of the top 25 defence exporters in the world. From about Rs 900 crore eight years ago, defence exports have crossed Rs 13,000 crore. We are hopeful that the defence exports will touch Rs 35,000 crore by 2025 and the target of Rs 2.7 lakh crore set for 2047 will be met,” he said.

    While maintaining that India has never attacked any country, nor has it captured an inch of a foreign land, he assured the nation that if any attempt is ever made to disturb the harmony in India, a befitting reply will be given.

    “India is a peace-loving country, but it should not be mistaken for being a coward or afraid of war. At a time when we were dealing with COVID-19, we had to face the tension on the northern border with China. The courage of our soldiers during the Galwan incident proved that no matter how big the power is, India will never bow down,” he said.

    Singh said that the formation of the post of ‘chief of defence staff and the setting up of the department of military affairs are some of the major reforms taken to bolster national security.

    “Doors of National Defence Academy (NDA) have been opened for girls, while women in the Armed Forces are being given a permanent commission. We have also allowed the deployment of women on warships,” he said.

    Singh stressed that the government is building a ‘New India’, which will give a sense of security and trust to all our peace-loving friendly countries and those with evil intentions will get nothing but dust.

    During the 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot air strikes, the defence minister stated that India’s new strategy against terrorism has broken the backs of those who try to hurt the unity and integrity of the nation.

    “Terror activities were carried out from Pakistan under a well-thought-out policy. After the Uri and Pulwama attacks, our government and the Armed Forces, through the 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot air strikes, displayed to the world India’s unwavering commitment to root out terrorism. We showed that our forces have the capability to act on this side and, if needed, on the other side of the border. India’s image has been transformed. It is now seriously listened to on international platforms,” he said.

    The defence minister was of the view that the inspiration taken from the heroes of the Armed Forces is the reason behind India moving swiftly forward on the path of development.

    “When the dark clouds of war appear and national interests are attacked, it is the soldiers who bear that attack and protect the country. It is the supreme sacrifice of the fallen heroes which keeps the people alive,” he stated.

    “The names of General Sam Manekshaw, General Jagjit Singh Arora, General Jacob, General Sujan Singh Uban and General Officer in Command Air Marshal Latif, who led India to a resounding victory, will never be forgotten. Indian soldiers in the war included Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs and one Jew. It is proof of India’s belief toward Sarvadharma Sambhav (respect for all religions). All these brave soldiers belonged to different states with different mother tongues. They were bound by a strong and common thread of Indianness,” he said.

    Singh termed Himachal Pradesh as a border state strategically important for India and the people residing in the border areas as strategic assets.

    While emphasising that it is the responsibility of every government to make their lives better, he stated strengthening the border infrastructure as well as the intelligence and communication capability of the country has been accorded top priority by the government, led by Prime Minister Modi.

    He pointed out that hundreds of kms of roads, bridges and tunnels have been constructed in the border areas, with Atal tunnel in Himachal Pradesh being one of the mega projects.

    Singh paid respects to the families of the war heroes, stating that the country will forever be indebted to the sacrifices made by the valiant soldiers.

    He said the Armed Forces will always be a source of inspiration to the people, especially the youth, as they possess the traits of discipline, devotion to duty, patriotism and sacrifice, and are a symbol of national pride and trust.

    “Background, religion and creed don’t matter, what matters is that our beloved tri-colour continues to fly high,” he said.

    The defence minister paid glowing tributes to the war heroes, including first recipient of Param Vir Chakra Major Somnath Sharma (1947); Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, Maha Vir Chakra (1948); Lt Col Dhan Singh Thapa, PVC (1962); Captain Vikram Batra, PVC (1999) and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar, PVC (1999).

    On this occasion, Singh felicitated the families of the brave soldiers of the Armed Forces hailing from Himachal Pradesh, who laid down their lives in the service of the nation.

    SHIMLA: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday said that decision on Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) should have been taken during 1971 war between India and the neighbouring country.

    The defence minister said this while addressing a function to honour martyrs’ families at Badoli in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh.

    “We have recently marked the Golden Jubilee of victory of 1971 war. The 1971 war will be remembered in history as the war fought for humanity instead of property, possession or power,” Singh said.

    “There is only one regret. The decision on PoK should have been taken at that time itself,” he said.

    Singh also attended a similar function at Nadaun in Hamirpur district.

    In Kangra, Singh also shed light on the Centre’s unwavering resolve to make the country ‘Aatmanirbhar’ and the progress achieved due to the measures taken to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.

    “Earlier, India was known as a defence importer. Today, it is among one of the top 25 defence exporters in the world. From about Rs 900 crore eight years ago, defence exports have crossed Rs 13,000 crore. We are hopeful that the defence exports will touch Rs 35,000 crore by 2025 and the target of Rs 2.7 lakh crore set for 2047 will be met,” he said.

    While maintaining that India has never attacked any country, nor has it captured an inch of a foreign land, he assured the nation that if any attempt is ever made to disturb the harmony in India, a befitting reply will be given.

    “India is a peace-loving country, but it should not be mistaken for being a coward or afraid of war. At a time when we were dealing with COVID-19, we had to face the tension on the northern border with China. The courage of our soldiers during the Galwan incident proved that no matter how big the power is, India will never bow down,” he said.

    Singh said that the formation of the post of ‘chief of defence staff and the setting up of the department of military affairs are some of the major reforms taken to bolster national security.

    “Doors of National Defence Academy (NDA) have been opened for girls, while women in the Armed Forces are being given a permanent commission. We have also allowed the deployment of women on warships,” he said.

    Singh stressed that the government is building a ‘New India’, which will give a sense of security and trust to all our peace-loving friendly countries and those with evil intentions will get nothing but dust.

    During the 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot air strikes, the defence minister stated that India’s new strategy against terrorism has broken the backs of those who try to hurt the unity and integrity of the nation.

    “Terror activities were carried out from Pakistan under a well-thought-out policy. After the Uri and Pulwama attacks, our government and the Armed Forces, through the 2016 surgical strikes and 2019 Balakot air strikes, displayed to the world India’s unwavering commitment to root out terrorism. We showed that our forces have the capability to act on this side and, if needed, on the other side of the border. India’s image has been transformed. It is now seriously listened to on international platforms,” he said.

    The defence minister was of the view that the inspiration taken from the heroes of the Armed Forces is the reason behind India moving swiftly forward on the path of development.

    “When the dark clouds of war appear and national interests are attacked, it is the soldiers who bear that attack and protect the country. It is the supreme sacrifice of the fallen heroes which keeps the people alive,” he stated.

    “The names of General Sam Manekshaw, General Jagjit Singh Arora, General Jacob, General Sujan Singh Uban and General Officer in Command Air Marshal Latif, who led India to a resounding victory, will never be forgotten. Indian soldiers in the war included Hindus, Muslims, Parsis, Sikhs and one Jew. It is proof of India’s belief toward Sarvadharma Sambhav (respect for all religions). All these brave soldiers belonged to different states with different mother tongues. They were bound by a strong and common thread of Indianness,” he said.

    Singh termed Himachal Pradesh as a border state strategically important for India and the people residing in the border areas as strategic assets.

    While emphasising that it is the responsibility of every government to make their lives better, he stated strengthening the border infrastructure as well as the intelligence and communication capability of the country has been accorded top priority by the government, led by Prime Minister Modi.

    He pointed out that hundreds of kms of roads, bridges and tunnels have been constructed in the border areas, with Atal tunnel in Himachal Pradesh being one of the mega projects.

    Singh paid respects to the families of the war heroes, stating that the country will forever be indebted to the sacrifices made by the valiant soldiers.

    He said the Armed Forces will always be a source of inspiration to the people, especially the youth, as they possess the traits of discipline, devotion to duty, patriotism and sacrifice, and are a symbol of national pride and trust.

    “Background, religion and creed don’t matter, what matters is that our beloved tri-colour continues to fly high,” he said.

    The defence minister paid glowing tributes to the war heroes, including first recipient of Param Vir Chakra Major Somnath Sharma (1947); Brigadier Sher Jung Thapa, Maha Vir Chakra (1948); Lt Col Dhan Singh Thapa, PVC (1962); Captain Vikram Batra, PVC (1999) and Subedar Major Sanjay Kumar, PVC (1999).

    On this occasion, Singh felicitated the families of the brave soldiers of the Armed Forces hailing from Himachal Pradesh, who laid down their lives in the service of the nation.

  • External Affairs Ministry condemns US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar’s visit to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Thursday condemned the visit of US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), saying her travel to the region violated the country’s sovereignty and it reflected her “narrow-minded” politics.

    At a media briefing, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi criticised Omar for visiting the PoK. The US Congresswoman, who is a Democrat, is currently on a four-day visit to Pakistan. “We have noted that US representative Ilhan Omar has visited a part of the Indian union territory of Jammu and Kashmir that is currently illegally occupied by Pakistan,” he said.

    “If such a politician wishes to practice her narrow-minded politics at home, that may be her business. But violating our territorial integrity and sovereignty in its pursuit makes it ours. This visit is condemnable,” Bagchi added.

    He was asked to comment on Omar’s visit to PoK. She is the first American lawmaker to visit Pakistan after the ouster of Imran Khan as prime minister of the country. To another query on recent terror attacks in Afghanistan, the spokesperson said India has been looking at the developments in that country.

    “We have seen some of the terrorist attacks. We have always been forthright in our condemnation of terrorist attacks. We are looking at what has been the developments there. But let me emphasise that we certainly condemn all terrorist attacks,” Bagchi said.

  • India criticises OIC delegation’s visit to PoK

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India on Thursday criticised a visit by a delegation of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and described it as an interference in India’s internal matter.

    The delegation visited the Line of Control on Wednesday where it was briefed by the Pakistani military officials.

    “We have said on many occasions previously that we see such visits to occupied Jammu and Kashmir as interference to our internal matter,” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said at a media briefing.

    In the past, India has hit out at the OIC for commenting on Jammu and Kashmir and asked it to refrain from allowing vested interests to exploit its platform for remarks on internal affairs of the country.

    India has been maintaining that the OIC has no locus standi in matters relating to Jammu and Kashmir and that the Union Territory is an integral part of the country.

    India has also repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country.

    It has advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda.

    The OIC delegation arrived in Pakistan on Sunday on a week-long visit.

  • Baramulla Police detains one more guide involved in exfiltration of three youngsters to PoK

    By ANI
    BARAMULLA: Baramulla Police detained one more guide during the investigation of the case of exfiltration of the three youth to Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) on the confession of the other guide.

    The arrested person has been identified as Mohammad Majloon Sheikh, a resident of Dudran Boniyar.

    Earlier, Baramulla Police detained three youth and one guide who were trying to exfiltrate to POK via Line of Control (LoC) Uri at MVCP and incriminating material including sharp knives, torch, etc were also recovered from them.

    “During questioning of the guide namely Parvaiz Ahmad Hajam confessed that other guide namely Mohammad Majloon Sheikh resident of Dudran Boniyar was also involved in the act of exfiltration of the three youth to PoK and on his confession, the said guide was arrested and incriminating material was also recovered from his possession,” the police said on Thursday.

    A case under relevant sections of law was registered in Uri Police Station and an investigation into the matter was initiated.