Blog

Scores injured in clashes, internet suspended

Kulgam, February 10: One more body was recovered from the gunfight site at Kellam area of Kulgam, taking the death toll of slain militants in an encounter to five.

The gunfight broke out between forces and militants in the wee hours of this morning.

Official sources told KNO that with another body recovered, death toll in the gunfight has reached five.
Earlier four militants bodies were recovered from the gunfight site.

Pertinently, forces had launched Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) by 9 RR and SOG Kulgam in the area after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

As the search was intensified, the hiding militants fired upon forces which was retaliated triggered gunfight and exchange of fire is going on.

Sources informed KNO that all thr slain militants are believed to be locals and were affiliated with Hizb.
However, there was no official confirmation in this regard.

Sources added that arms and ammunition were recovered from the spot.

Moreover, clashes that erupted soon after the encounter broke out in the village were still going on.

Sources said scores of youth sustained injuries during the clashes since morning during which forces used tear gas canisters to disperse the agitating youth.

Heavy clashes were going on in the area when the report was last filed.

Meanwhile authorities have snapped mobile internet services in the district. (KNO)

Kulgam, February 10 : Fifth body has been recovered from the gunfight site at Kellam area of Kulgam were gunbattle had been raging since Sunday morning.

Official sources told KNO that with another body recovered death toll in the gunfight has reached five, they added, that earlier four militants bodies were rrecovere.

Earlier forces launched Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) by 9 RR and SOG Kulgam in the area after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

As the search was intensified, the hiding militants fired upon forces which was retaliated triggered gunfight and exchange of fire is going on.

Sources had told KNO that the identification of the slain will be declared later but say that they believe they are all locals.
Meanwhile authorities have snapped Internet services in Kulgam. (KNO)

Have exhausted all money, have no food to eat, clothes to wear

Jammu, February 10: Hundreds of stranded local Kashmiri passengers stranded in Jammu since last ten days have urged the government to airlift them immediately as they are now short of money.

Scores of passengers stranded in Jammu told KNO that they should be airlifted Srinagar.

“We have been living in Jammu since past ten days in tremendous hardships and that we are short of food and clothes. We have also no money to buy food etc,” a group of passengers told KNO

They said that governor administration should on priority air lift the passengers to mitigate their sufferings.

Pertinently, the Srinagar-Jammu highway has been closed for traffic since past five consecutive days.(KNO)

Kulgam, February 10 : Four militants have been killed in an ongoing gunbattle between government forces and militants in kellam area of South kashmir’s kulgam district

Official sources told KNO that four militants were killed so far and their bodies have been recovered but they believe that there should be fifth one as well.

Earlier forces launched Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) by 9 RR and SOG Kulgam in the area after receiving specific inputs about the presence of militants in the area.

As the search was intensified, the hiding militants fired upon forces which was retaliated triggered gunfight and exchange of fire is going on.

Sources had told KNO that the identification of the slain will be declared later while searches for the fifth body is ongoing.
Meanwhile authorities have snapped Internet services in Kulgam. (KNO)

Srinagar, February 09 : Weatherman on Saturday predicted improvement in the weather conditions in Kashmir but below freezing point temperature will hold the grip for some days. Shivering cold kept its grip on the valley and night temperature in Srinagar was recorded minus 5.6.

Officials at Meteorological (MeT) department told KNO the cold wave that is sweeping valley, and the dip in temperature is due to clear night sky which will remain for some days but will not touch minus 5.

The weather, forecaster said, will remain cold and dry in coming three days. “Maximum temperature, however, will show improvement,” he predicted. MeT department said that minimum temperature recorded was minus 5.7 degrees Celsius in Srinagar on Saturday, Pahalgam and Gulmarg it was -12.7 and -14.4, respectively.

In newly declared Ladakh division, minimum temperature recorded in Leh was – 15.0 degrees Celsius, Kargil had -19.4 and Drass recorded -26.8. Jammu city had 4.0 degrees Celsius, Katra town 4.8, Batote minus 1.6, Bannihal 1.4 and Bhaderwah minus 4.4 as the night’s lowest temperatures.(KNO)

Hundreds throng Guru’s Sopore residence amid curbs to pay homage, express solidarity

Srinagar, February 09: The 18-year-old son of Muhammad Afzal Guru is busy receiving guests in countless numbers on the eve of his father’s sixth hanging anniversary. Galib wears a gentle smile on his face but misses his father.

“I have been getting hundreds of hugs by people, friends and women of my area and those in relation. My dad’s one hug was worth a million hugs.

I miss the warmth of his hug and pure love of his chest filled with love for me,” Galib told KNO at his Doabgah residence, where people including men, women, and children were flocking to express solidarity.

Six years after Guru was hanged at Tihar Jail, Ghalib still misses his father’s warm hug. Ghalib says he aspires to become a good doctor in order to help the society and Kashmir. “After Abu Ji’s martyrdom, my mother gave me the courage and strength to stand up. She told me that we have to face whatever comes our way,” he said. “My entire mother became a source of inspiration for me.”

Despite stringent curbs and heavy deployment of forces, resistance leaders, and locals of Sopore and elsewhere visited Doabgah to pay homage to Afzal Guru. Witnesses said that barricades were placed on roads to prevent any sort of large gathering.

Tabassum, Guru’s widow, said she joined a nursing home at Sopore and worked there all these years while Guru was behind the bars in Tihar Jail. “After Ghalib passed 10th standard exams, I left the job,” she said. “My wish is to see him become a good doctor. It was rather his father’s wish too,” Tabassum says.

Ghalib was 12-years-old when Guru was hanged on February 9, 2013 inside Tihar Jail at New Delhi. Ghalib is nowadays preparing for pre-medical test and is going to appear in the examinations in May while Tabassum is looking after household chores.(KNO)

Srinagar, February 09: An elderly woman stranded at Delhi airport for three day due to disturbed air traffic to valley on Saturday died in Delhi.

Reports reaching KNO said the deceased lady identified as Zaina Bano, 70, was brought dead to medical facility. She belongs to Shopian district of southern Kashmir.

The lady, according to reports, had suffered respiratory acidosis with severe hyperkalemia. Reports reaching KNO said that she was over-exhausted standing at airport and finally collapsed on reaching a transit-hotel and her body being denied speedy air travel to Kashmir.

Former chief minister Omar Abdullah took to twitter and appealed Jayant Sinha, Minister of state for Civil Aviation to help the distressed family.”Dear @jayantsinha Sahib, I request you to take a compassionate view in this matter.

It’s a not normally the case for airlines to refuse to carry mortal remains. Your intervention will help a family at their time of great tragedy & I will be personally grateful for your help,” Abdullah wrote on Twitter. (KNO)

Air travel fair from Sgr-Jammu equal to one way travel to New York

Srinagar: Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday expressed grief and sorrow at the loss of life in the recent heavy snowfall and avalanches across the valley and extended condolences and sympathies to the bereaved families.

According to KNO, addressing the Friday congregation at Jama Masjid Srinagar, Mirwaiz said that with anguish and concern we have been witnessing the total apathy and callousness of the authorities towards the people of Kashmir living in city, towns, villages and most of all in remote villages, struggling with the fall out of adverse weather conditions for the last two months without any respite.

Mirwaiz said somehow we are surviving the lack of electricity and water, the basic necessities of life in today’s life. Leave alone facilities, no emergency provisions are in place. The recently reported incident of a pregnant woman losing her child and her life and the family struggling to take her body home because of blocked roads is heart-rending.

The highways remain blocked, particularly the Jammu Srinagar highway. Thousands of men, women and children are stranded, left to fend for themselves without basic amenities or provisions of food, medicines, accommodation.

As all other traditional /natural connectivity routes to outside world are closed by authorities, when this route gets blocked in winter months due to bad weather each year, people are left to fend for themselves facing a crisis and shortage of supplies which could be avoided by opening up the traditional routes.

We demand that all traditional routes should be opened immediately to facilities supply of essentials and travel, Mirwaiz said.

Mirwaiz said overpricing of air tickets, is another issue that people and there is no one to look into this loot.it is ironical that Srinagar to Jammu tickets are costing a staggering 40,000 which is less than one-way fare to New York.

With no plan or concern to ameliorate the difficulties and sufferings of people the only activity that the authoritarian state is proactive in are the CASO’s ( Cordon and Search Operations) meant to kill, maim, terrorize and destroy people. Mirwaiz strongly denounced the launching of CASO operation in Bandipora this morning.

Mirwaiz said I appeal to the humanitarian agencies and people concerned with human suffering to support and assist those who are undergoing immense difficulties due to harshest weather conditions and total apathy of the state.

Mirwaiz said that the People of Kashmir have a tradition and culture to help each other in difficult times, as we saw during the floods. Once again I ask them for help and support particularly for those in these dense and dire circumstances.

People curse all previous regimes; Div Com suggests three-point formula to address serious issue

Srinagar, February 08: Grappling with the enormous problems in the wake of frequent closure of Jammu-Srinagar highway, the life-line for Kashmir, people of ill-fated valley are today cursing all the previous regimes for failing to find out and open alternate routes to ensure enough supply of essentials in winter.

The government tacitly admits that Mughal road should have been thrown open for traffic for being an all-weather route while as direct train services from Jammu to Srinagar should have been an old affair but due to “technical glitches” Kashmir continues to suffer.

Since January this year, the Srinagar-Jammu highway remained closed for the both way traffic for 28 times due to landslides and shooting stones at various vulnerable points like Panthal, Ramban and Ramsoo.

Ejaz Rasool, an engineering student at Kashmir University said that despite the passage of 70 years, all the previous regimes, National Conference, Congress, PDP and now BJP failed to ensure an alternate measure was found to deal with the issues of frequent closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway that leaves people in frenzy.

“See what is the condition of our markets, whatever rotten vegetables are available, they too are sold at highest ever prices. A poor man is left to die. I myself saw acute shortage of mutton, chicken and fresh vegetables in the market,” Ejaz told KNO. “There is an acute shortage or LPG and kerosene is already invisible. In such a situation what can a poor Kashmiri do, where he shall go.”

An elderly Abdur Razaq, a resident of Khanyar area said that every single day, highway is closed and the frequent closure of the road leaves an ordinary Kashmir in lurch. “Except the dry vegetables, people of Kashmir remain dependent on few selected vegetable produced from the Dal Lake.

But that can’t suffice the entire Kashmir population who also need cooking gas, kerosene, petrol, poultry and above all mutton.” Kashmiris are known as the voracious meat eaters and the non-availability of mutton and chicken make people crazy.

Ironically, there is no check on the black-marketing as prices of vegetables have gone skyrocketing while LPG and petrol are sold against high prices. “After searching for LPG cylinder in Srinagar for hours, I finally got one at Karanagar against RS 1500, thrice the fixed price of the government,” said Imtiyaz Ahmed a resident of Abi Guzar.

The Mutton dealers complain that they don’t receive any supply given the road closure but in many places, “butchers were selling mutton at exorbitant prices—Rs 500 per kg against government rate of Rs 400.” “I wonder when the road is closed, how the mutton shops have two sheep hanging for sale.

There is no check at all,” said Rafiqa, a government employee. “There is a big question mark as to why all the previous regimes sat on the proposal of addressing the highway mess issue. Perhaps there are political dividends and that’s why this issue.”

Talking to Kashmir News Observer (KNO) exclusively, divisional commissioner Kashmir Baseer Khan admits that people are facing hardships due to frequent closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway. “But one can’t stop landslides and shooting stones.

I believe Mughal road should have been fully functional long back, vulnerable areas where prone to shooting stones and landslides should have been dealt with by the concern departments and that the train services from Jammu to Srinagar should have been through,” he said. “Had these three things been done, there would have been no shortage or essentials in this hour of crisis.”(KNO)