Kashmir.Watch

Category: Union Territory

  • Lashkar-e-Taiba militant wanted in 8 cases arrested in Srinagar.

    A militant belonging to a Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba was arrested from Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday morning.

    The 23-year-old Nissar Ahmad Dar, who hails from Wahab Parray Mohalla at Hajin, was active for the past few years and is a categorised militant in security establishment’s data base. He was in the wanted list of security forces.

    He is involved in eight cases, seven in 2016 and one in 2019. He was detained twice under the Jammu and Kashmir Public Safety Act (PSA)–first time in 2016 and then in 2017. He is an associate of Salim Parray, a top militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba.

    “Dar is an associate of Salim Parray, who is top militant of Lashkar-e-Taiba in north Kashmir, and earlier escaped from an encounter in which a Pakistani militant of Lashkar outfit was killed at Kulan Ganderbal on November 12, 2019,” said a senior police officer.

    Dar was planning to carry out attack on some security force establishment. He was caught alive in an operation launched on Friday night by the security establishments.

    “On a specific information that a listed and wanted militant was hiding somewhere in Srinagar and planning an attack on security forces, an operation was launched on Friday night by the Srinagar police along with local security forces in which the militant was caught alive along with arms and ammunition,” said a senior police officer.

    Dar is being interrogated, the officer added. IANS

  • Teenager injured as militants hurl grenade at CRPF personnel in Srinagar

    Srinagar: Suspected militants hurled a grenade at CRPF personnel in Kawdara locality here on Saturday, resulting in injuries to a 16-year-old boy, police said.

    However, there was no injury to any CRPF personnel as the grenade missed the intended target and exploded on the roadside, a police official said.

    He said unidentified militants lobbed the grenade to target CRPF personnel posted in Kawdara locality of the interior area of the city in the afternoon, causing panic among people.

    A boy, who was moving on the road, received minor splinter injuries, when the grenade exploded, the official said.

    Two private vehicles were damaged in the attack, he added.

    The boy had been shifted to a hospital, the official said.

    The area was immediately cordoned off to nab the militants involved, he said.

    No outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the blast. PTI

  • Two rumors mongers arrested: Muneer Khan

    Those who are spreading rumors will be dealt strictly

    Srinagar, Jan 02: Two persons were arrested by the police on thrusday who according police were spreading the rumours in Kashmir.
    ADGP law and order Muneer khan has confirmed and said two persons were identified who were spreading the rumours in Kashmir has been arrested and those who be found spreading the rumours in Kashmir valley will be dealt strictly.
    He said the rumour mongering will not be accepted and all the District commissioners have been advised to keep the vigil on the rumours mongers and take the strict action against them.
    Khan further said these people don’t want peace in Kashmir and they will be punished as per the law .
    It is to pertinent to mention that several rumours are agog in Kashmir valley from last couple of days. (KNS)

  • Omar, Mehbooba being served veg food

    Vegetarian food is the order of the day for two former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir who continue to be under detention since August 5 when Article 370 was repealed by the Centre.

    Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti are no longer enjoying the protocol of being former Chief Ministers and have to rely on simple food being provided by the administration.

    Sources said both Omar and Mehbooba have been kept away from non-vegetarian food. “For both lunch and dinner they are being served vegetables, pulses with rice. They don’t get chicken or meat and have to eat whatever is being provided by the administration,” said a source. Since the harsh winter knocked the door in Kashmir, Omar and Mehbooba were shifted to Polo View houses in Srinagar from Chashmi Shahi and the houses were declared as temporary jail for them. Even as the UT Government released a few political prisoners yesterday in Kashmir valley, there is no talk on release of either of the former Chief Ministers.The source said food is not allowed to be cooked in the houses where Omar and Mehbooba have been kept and whatever they have to eat is coming from somewhere else. “Only tea is being served in the houses and food is coming from outside,” he added. “Even though they are political prisoners but they are not being treated like former Chief Ministers,” the sources added. — TNS

  • Internet services restored in 28 health institutions today, rest under process: Div Com Kashmir

    Says SMS services restored, but Jio, Airtel have developed technical snag; will take strict action against rumour mongers

    Srinagar, Jan 01: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Wednesday said that the internet services were restored in 28 health institutions across Kashmir today while as the services in rest of the hospitals will be restored by tomorrow.

    According to the wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan said that the government has directed all the cellular companies to restore SMS services in Kashmir, but Jio and Airtel cellular companies have developed some technical snag due to which the services have not been restored so far. Khan further added that all the cellular companies have been directed to restore the SMC services from last night (December 31).

    He added that the internet services in 28 health institutions were restored today while as the rest of hospitals will avail the services from tomorrow. “Some of the hospitals had not cleared the pending bills, which will be cleared by tomorrow following which the services will be restored,” he added.

    Meanwhile, Khan told KNO that strict action will be taken against the people who are spreading rumours in Kashmir from last two days. “The rumours are doing rounds from last two days and we will take strict action against rumour mongers,” he said, appealing people not to pay heed to the rumours.

    Pertinently, the rumours claiming that curfew passes have been issued by the government to health employees as the curbs will be imposed in Kashmir, were doing rounds from last two days. (KNO)

  • Two Army men killed in exchange of firing in Rajouri village

    Search operation on, area under strict monitoring: DIG

    Srinagar, Jan 01: Two Army men who were injured on Tuesday night during exchange of fire between militants and government forces in Rajouri village, succumbed to their injuries on Wednesday morning, officials said.

    According to the wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), a joint Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) was launched in Mangal and Drat villages of Rajouri district on Tuesday following the inputs about the presence of militants there.

    Officials said that the exchange of fire took place on late Tuesday evening at around 11:00 PM, during which two Army men identified as Naik Sawant Sandip Raghnath, 29, of Munde village of Tehsil Larhad in Satar district of Maharashtra and Rifleman Arjun Thapa Magar, 25, of Rip village in Gorkha district of Nepal.

    They said that the duo was shifted to hospital for treatment where they succumbed to their injuries in this morning.

    Meanwhile, officials said that the exchange of fire stopped at around 05:00 AM in this morning, adding that the search Operation was later intensified later in Dabar Potha village, adjacent village of Drat where forces used Choppers to trace the militants.

    They added that police and army further intensified the search operation in the area, which was going on when the report was last filed.

    Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Rajouri-Poonch, Vivek Gupta told KNO that in the exchange of firing two Army men who were injured succumbed to their injuries.

    He added that operation is going on and the area is under strict monitoring. (KNO)

  • Broadband, SMS back in Valley

    Jammu: The UT administration in Jammu and Kashmir today announced that broadband-based Internet services in all government-run hospitals and short messaging service (SMS) on mobile phones would be fully restored from December 31 midnight across the Kashmir valley.

    On December 10, the authorities had partially restored SMS with people starting to receive OTPs for online businesses. The OTP-based SMS were enabled on mobile phones to facilitate students, scholarship applicants and traders.

    It has now been decided to fully restore the service throughout Kashmir, Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, told the media here.

    Meanwhile, the administration today abolished all inter-state toll posts, including the one at Lakhanpur, and those at railway stations and airports. “The Government of Jammu and Kashmir hereby directs that the toll post established at Lakhanpur (considered the gateway of J&K) in Kathua district and all minor inter-state toll posts established at railway stations and airports in the UT of J&K… shall cease to operate with effect from January 1, 2020”, according to two notifications issued by the Finance Department.

    Kansal told the media that the toll tax had rendered the industrial sector in J&K uncompetitive.

  • After five months, SMS services to start from tonight in Kashmir: J&K Admin

    No decision on internet restoration yet but service restored in schools, hospitals

    Srinagar, Dec 31: Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday said that SMS services will start in Kashmir from 12 in the midnight after a gap of almost five months while as there was no official decision on the restoration of internet services.

    According to wire service—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), addressing press conference at Jammu, principal secretary to Government, Rohit Kansal said that SMS services will start functioning again in Kashmir from 12 in the midnight. “J&K government has decided to restore the SMS services in Kashmir from today midnight. There is no official decision as to when the internet services would be restored. The issue is under active consideration of the government,” Kansal said. He said that internet services would be restored in Kashmir soon when the situation would be “conducive.”

    He said that, however, a decision to restore the broadband internet services will be restored in all government hospitals and schools in a “phased manner.” . Pertinently, on August 5, when Centre announced to scrap the Article 370 and to bifurcate the erstwhile state into two Union Territories (UTs), mobile phone services and internet services were snapped across J&K. On October 14, postpaid mobile services were restored while as pre-paid phones were not restored. Majority of pre-paid customers have switched to post paid numbers in the past over a month. (KNO)

  • Kashmir media suffering due to internet suspension: Madhav

    ‘Internet restoration depends on security assessment’

    Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary, Ram Madhav Thursday said he would raise the issue of internet restoration service to media houses in Kashmir with the authorities sitting in New Delhi.
    Talking on the sidelines of a news conference, Madhav, who was in the city to watch an I-League football match said he was aware about the circumstances in which media works in the Valley in absence of internet services.
    “I’m aware Kashmir media has suffered in the past few months. And I will raise the internet restoration services to media once I reach New Delhi,” Madhav told Rising Kashmir. “I know you people have to go to that place (media centre) for work.”
    Earlier, addressing a news conference, Madhav, who looks after Kashmir affairs, said the restoration of internet service in the Valley would depend on the security assessment.
    “I’m expecting that things will be restored soon,” he said. “We are gradually restoring internet broadband service starting from hotels like this one (Taj Vivanta).”
    In the intervening night of August 4 and August 5, authorities suspended all communication lines across the Valley to “prevent any law and order situation” in response to the Government of India’s decision of abrogation of Article 370.
    Even though the administration restored postpaid mobile connectivity in Kashmir after two months, internet services continue to remain suspended till date.
    Internet blockade in Kashmir continues to hit all spheres of life with businessmen and students facing the major brunt of the ban.
    Earlier around 100 broadband connections had been restored in the Valley since November after authorities took signed bonds from people for taking responsibility that there would be no misuse of the facility.
    On the release of political prisoners, Madhav said, “It is an ongoing process. They (politicians) are currently in preventive detention. So, things will take place accordingly.”

  • Snowfall likely in Kashmir on New Year’s Eve

    Several parts of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh reeled under cold wave conditions on Saturday, with Srinagar recording the coldest night of the season at -5.8°C.

    The mercury in Leh and Drass in Ladakh plummeted to -19.1°C and -28.6°C, respectively, a Metrological Department official said.

    Water supply lines froze at several places in Srinagar as the minimum temperature in the city settled at -5.8°C on Friday night. It was -5.6°C the previous night.

    The Metrological Department has forecast rain and snowfall in Kashmir on the New Year’s Eve that is likely to bring respite from the cold wave conditions in the Valley.

    Drass shivers at -28.6°C, Srinagar at -5.8°C

    The mercury in Leh and Drass in Ladakh plummeted to -19.1°C and -28.6°C. respectively, a Metrological Department official said.
    Water supply lines froze at several places in Srinagar as the minimum temperature in the city settled at -5.8°C on Friday night making it the coldest night of the season. It was -5.6°C the previous night.
    “There is a possibility of light rains or snowfall across Kashmir for a few days from December 31,” the Metrological Department official said
    “There is a possibility of light rains or snowfall across Kashmir for a few days from December 31,” the official said.

    He said while there was forecast of scattered rains or snowfall on December 31 and January 1, fairly widespread rainfall or snow is likely on January 2, which might continue till January 3.

    The ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of -7.5°C, up from the previous night’s -9.5°C, the official said.

    The night temperature at Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir settled at a low of -11.2°C as against -12°C on Friday.

    Pahalgam was the coldest place in the Valley, he added.

    The official said Qazigund in south Kashmir recorded a low of -10.8°C.

    South Kashmir’s Kokernag town recorded a low of -7.6°C, while the minimum temperature in north Kashmir’s Kupwara settled at -6.3°C, the official said.

    Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent and the temperature drops considerably.

    ‘Chillai Kalan’ began on December 21 and will continue till January 31. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day-long ‘Chillai Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai Bachha’ (baby cold). — PTI