Category: Union Territory

Srinagar: This year’s first encounter between militants and government forces killed 3 militants in Gulshanpora Village of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.

Three Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish e Mohammad militants killed in an encounter with security forces in Gulshanpora Village of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.

A joint team of Army’s 42RR, CRPF and SOG cordoned off Gulshanpora area after having credible input about presence of some militants in the area.

While hiding militants fired upon government forces triggering an encounter, police official told Valley Media Service.

Three Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish e Mohammad militants have been killed and Identified as Zubair Ahmad Bhat @Abu Huraira son of Bashir Ahmad Bhat resident of Chursoo Awantipora, Shakoor Ahmad Parray @Jaffar son of Ghulam Nabi Parray resident of Laribal Tral and Tawseef Ahmad Thoker @Abu Talha son of Ghulam Mohi-ud-deen Thoker resident of Chursoo Bunpora Awantipora, police told VMS.

Tawseef who was an M Sc in Mathematics has joined Militant outfit Hizb ul Mujahideen on 14 May 2018, sources said.

Five Army man of 42RR also sustained injuries. One of the critically wounded was shifted to army’s 92 Base hospital in Srinagar for advanced treatment, Srinagar based defence spokesman Rajesh Kalia told Valley Media Service.

All the three killed militants were wanted by law for their complicity in a series of militancy activities including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities. It was a combined group of JeM and HM and as per police records Zubair was affiliated with outfit JeM while Shakoor and Tawseef were affiliated with outfit HM, police spokesman said VMS.

Police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the matter. Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter, he added.

Meanwhile, youth took to streets and staged protests as soon as the news of gunfight spread in the town.

At least ten civilians were injured in clashes with the government forces.

Eye witness said that clashes erupted after the youth came out of their homes and hurled stones on the forces’ vehicles heading towards the gunfight site in Gulshanpora.

A complete shutdown is being observed in the area.

Internet service was suspended in the area soon after the gunfight broke out in Gulshanpora for Precautionary measures. (VMS)

Visits aimed to rehabilitate badly damaged reputation: Omar; Sajad lashes out at PDP, NC

Srinagar: Reviving the strategy of meeting families of militants yet again, the former chief minister and PDP president, Mehbooba Mufti on Thursday met the family of another militant in south Kashmir’s Shopian district.

However, the former chief minister and NC vice president criticized Mehbooba’s visit to the families of militants, calling it as ‘using dead militants to appease voters’.

Today, the PDP president met the family of a slain militant in Safanagri village of South Kashmir’s Shopian district. It is her second visit to the families of militants.

The PDP chief had earlier visited Patipora village in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district where she met the family of a militant on December 30. Mehbooba after meeting the family of a slain militant urged Governor Malik to direct the police and other forces not to harass the militant’s family.

Stating that police is disciplined force and don’t want to harass the families of militants, Mehbooba said there seems directions from somewhere due to which such actions are taking place.

“When I was Chief Minister, I also directed the police and other forces in Manigam not to harass the families of militants when you are dealing with the militants,” she said, impressing upon the Governor Satya Pal Malik to direct police and other forces engaged in anti-militancy operations not to harass families of militants.

Mehbooba in a tweet added that in case the initiative of ceasefire taken by her could have sustained, many more precious lives would have been saved. She said that no mother wants her son to pick up a gun, saying that harassing the families of militants is not going to help the situation.

“No mother wants her son to pick up a gun and lose his life in the prime of his youth. Therefore harassing the family is not going to help the situation. Had my initiative of cease fire sustained many more precious lives would have been saved,” she tweeted.

In her another tweet, Mehbooba said that no force or military can help to win the war with the people. “No force or military can help us win this war with our people. Only affection of mothers and family will help reclaim our own generation in rage,” Mehbooba tweeted.

Reacting over her frequent visits to the families of militants, former chief minister and National Conference (NC) Vice President, Omar Abdullah in his tweets said that Mehbooba Mufti is using dead militants to try to appease the voters.

In his tweet, Omar termed Mehbooba as architect of “Operation All-out”, saying that by visiting the families of militants, she is trying to rehabilitate a badly damaged reputation.

“The architect of “Operation All-out” & the overseer of the operations that killed hundreds of militants since 2015 is now going from one militant home to the next trying to rehabilitate a badly damaged reputation,” Omar tweeted. Omar further added that Mehbooba appeased BJP by the deaths of militants and now she is using dead militants to appease the voters.

“She used militants by sanctioning their deaths to appease the BJP and now she uses dead militants to try to appease the voter. Just how gullible does she think people are?,” Omar tweeted. Reacting to Omar’s tweet, Mehbooba said that “we all should try to reach to the families of militants as they cannot be left at the mercy of others.”

“@OmarAbdullah My visiting these helpless families shouldn’t trouble you , rather we all should try to reach out to them as they can not be left at the mercy of others,” Mehbooba replied to Omar’s tweet. However, Peoples Conference (PC) president and former minister, Sajad Gani Lone also hot out at both the parties, citing the killings of civilians in 2010 and 2016 agitations.

“The two dynasties r at it again. Enacting theatre. A month or so back both were squeaky clean. Now the gloves r off. Accuse each other by the day confer by the night. Winking on twitter hoodwinking en masse. One has 2010 to his credit the other has 2016 to her credit,” Lone tweeted.(KNO)

Srinagar: The authorities have decided not to impose any sort of restrictions and the Joint Resistance Leadership’s Jamia Masjid program will be held as per the schedule.

A top police officer told KNO that no restrictions will be imposed on Friday to foil the JRL’s program of mass condemnation of the sacrilege of the Jamia Masjid pulpit by some miscreants last Friday.

All the resistance leaders and civil society leaders will be arriving at Jamia tomorrow to condemn the desecration of the sacred pulpit by some masked youth who saved ISIS flags on the pulpit with one of them boots on.(KNO)

Srinagar: Government forces achieved major success in Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 as they killed top militant commanders including Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Naveed Jatt and also 260 militants but nearly 100 soldiers were killed too.

The number of militants killed in 2018 was around 260 which is higher than 2017 and the highest in a single year in the last eight years, officials said.

In 2010, as many as 270 militants were killed in action by forces in Jammu and Kashmir. The number reduced to 119 in 2011. Then in 2012, 84 ultras were killed, 100 in 2013, 110 (2014), 113 (2015), 165 (2016) and 218 last year, the officials said.

They said the higher number of militant casualties in 2018 was because of pinpoint intelligence and meticulous operations by the security agencies.

However, the successes notwithstanding, the year gone by was one of the bloodiest for the forces as they suffered the highest number of fatalities than in any other year in the past decade.

Last year, 95 forces’ personnel were killed, while 83 personnel were killed in 2017, the officials said.

Taking to Twitter, the National Conference vice president said Mufti oversaw the operations that killed hundreds of militants since 2015 is now trying to mend her reputation by visiting militants’ families.

Calling her as an ‘architect’ of ‘Operation All-out’, NC Vice President Omar Abdullah on Thursday said Mehbooba Mufti during her tenure as the state’s chief minister used militants by sanctioning their deaths to appease the BJP.
Taking to Twitter, the National Conference vice president said Mufti oversaw the operations that killed hundreds of militants since 2015 is now trying to mend her reputation by visiting militants’ families.

“The architect of “Operation All-out” & the overseer of the operations that killed hundreds of militants since 2015 is now going from one militant home to the next trying to rehabilitate a badly damaged reputation,” Omar wrote on Twitter.

The architect of “Operation All-out” & the overseer of the operations that killed hundreds of militants since 2015 is now going from one militant home to the next trying to rehabilitate a badly damaged reputation.

He alleged that during her tenure as chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba sanctioned killings of militants to “appease her ally and now she is using dead militants to try to appease the voters.”
“She used militants by sanctioning their deaths to appease the BJP and now she uses dead militants to try to appease the voter. Just how gullible does she think people are?” Omar said.

The architect of “Operation All-out” & the overseer of the operations that killed hundreds of militants since 2015 is now going from one militant home to the next trying to rehabilitate a badly damaged reputation.

She used militants by sanctioning their deaths to appease the BJP and now she uses dead militants to try to appease the voter. Just how gullible does she think people are?

Earlier today, Mufti visited the family of a slain Hizb militant Mohammad Idress Sultan at his native Safanagri village in restive south Kashmir’s Shopian district.
After commiserating with the family, Mufti said that police should stop ‘harassing’ the families of the militants.

Critically wounded soldier airlifted to command hospital Udhampur; 10 injured in clashes

Srinagar: Two militants of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit were killed and Three soldiers sustained injuries in a gunfight at forest area of Gulshanpora Tral in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

Reports reaching GNS said that the fresh firing has started in the area even as clashes are also going on at some distance from the encounter site in which ten persons have reportedly suffered pellet injuries.

A police officer said that the gunfight broke out after army’s 42 RR, SOG and CRPF launched a cordon-and-search operation following the inputs about the presence of a group of Hizbul Mujahideen militants in a hideout.

In the gunfight, two militants were killed and three soldiers suffered injuries, he said.

The injured soldiers were taken to army’s 92 base hospital Srinagar where from one critically wounded soldier was airlifted to army’s command hospital Udhampur for advanced treatment, he said.

He said that the operation is in the final stage and one or two militants are still believed to be hiding in the area and are engaged in the gunfight. (GNS)

Clashes erupts, Internet services suspended

Official sources confirmed KNO that two militants have been killed and operation is on as according to them more militants are trapped in the area. We are yet to recover any dead body, they said.

Earlier on receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area, forces including 42 RR cordoned off Gulshanpora village of Tral.

On reaching the suspected spot, militants hiding in forest area fired upon forces which was retaliated triggered an encounter, they said. As per local sources to KNO operation is on in the area amid massive clashes.(KNO)

On reaching the suspected spot, militants hiding in forest area fired upon forces which was retaliated triggered an encounter, they said. As per local sources to KNO operation is on in the area amid massive clashes.(KNO)

Srinagar: The Pakistan Army on Wednesday claimed to have shot down another Indian ‘spy drone’ along the Line of Control in Satwal sector of Kashmir.
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor said on Twitter: “Pakistan Army troops shot down another Indian spy quadcopter. Today in Satwal Sector on Line of Control.”

He tweeted the picture of the spy drone.
On Tuesday, he had tweeted that Pakistan army had shot down an Indian spy quadcopter in Bagh sector along the LoC.
“Not even a quadcopter will be allowed to cross [the] LoC, In Shaa Allah,” the ISPR chief had added.

Srinagar: The minimum temperature across the Kashmir Valley dropped on Thursday due to clear night sky as the weather office forecast another spell of rain and snow beginning Friday.

“We are expecting another spell of moderate rain and snow from Friday afternoon. The weather will remain inclement till January 6 and there would be improvement after that,” a Met department official said.

Srinagar recorded 0.2 degree Celsius as the minimum temperature on Thursday while Pahalgam and Gulmarg recorded minus 7.3 and minus 8.5 degree Celsius, respectively.

Leh recorded minus 13.3 degree Celsius and it was minus 17.6 degree Celsius in Kargil. Drass was coldest town in Jammu and Kashmir where the minimum temperature was minus 19.7 degree Celsius.

Jammu had 6.5 degrees Celsius, Katra 5.8, Batote 0.1, Banihal minus 0.4 and Bhaderwah minus 1.9 degree Celsius as the minimum temperature on Thursday. IANS

Srinagar: First encounter of 2019 broke out between militants and goverment forces in Mir Mohalla, Gulshanpora area of Tral in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday.

Reports reaching GNS said that a joint team of army’s 42RR and SOG launched cordon and search operation in Gulshanpora.

As the joint team of forces intensified searches towards suspected spot the hiding militants fired upon goverment forces triggering an encounter.

As per the sources two to three militants are believed to be trapped.

Till this report was filed intermittent firing was going on.(GNS)