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Srinagar, January 06:A Gunfight has started between militants and government forces in Zaloowa area of Chadoora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Thursday.

Reports reaching GNS that a joint team of Police and CRPF launched a cordon and search operation in Chadoora.

As the joint team of forces encircled the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon the forces, triggering off an gunfight.

A senior police officer also confirmed to GNS about exchange of firing between militants and security forces.

As per the sources two militants are believed to be trapped inside.(GNS)

Srinagar, Jan 6: A ‘gas gun’ was found by a police party in Gagoo Humhama in central Kashmir’s Budgam district, officials said.

A senior police officer told GNS that a police party found one black color leather bag containing one Gas Gun bearing number IN-NEL-17-N/01-00326-38 MM, Made in India (Narindera Explosive Limited) at Gagoo in Humhama area.

“The firearm was taken in seizure under section 102 CrPC”, the officer said. (GNS)

Srinagar, Jan 6: While weather improved after two days of wet spell in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh on Thursday, a fresh spell of “heavy to very heavy” rain and snow spell has been forecast from January 7 evening.

According to the meteorological department here, the weather system was likely to affect surface and air transportation on the weekend.   

“As expected, weather improved significantly in J&K and Ladakh,” an official of meteorological department here told GNS.

“Another spell of intense precipitation (heavy to very heavy) rain and snow is most likely during January 7(evening/night) to January 8th,” he said, adding, “There would be gradual improvement from 9th onwards in J&K.” 
      
Regarding the probable impacts, he said, the weather system may affect surface and air transportation on January 8th.

“It may cause avalanches/landslides in vulnerable spots.”He urged people not to venture in avalanche prone areas given the fact that data shows most avalanches are triggered during intense heavy snowfall.

He also urged people to follow traffic advisory seriously and maintain proper ventilation in their rooms.

Meanwhile, the official here said that Srinagar recorded rain and snowfall of 12.9mm in last 24 hours till 0830 hours today. However there was no accumulation on ground. 

The summer capital of J&K, he said, recorded a low of 0.3°C against previous night’s 0.8°C. It was 2.2°C above normal for this time of the year in Srinagar, he said.

Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.

Gulmarg, which had nearly 3ft of fresh snowfall in last couple of days, recorded a low of minus 3.4°C against minus 4.0°C on the previous night at the world famous resort, he said.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had 18-cm of snow in the last 24 hours till 0830 hours while it recorded a low of 0.4°C against 0.8°C on the previous night, he said.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir which had around 1-ft of fresh snowfall, recorded a low of minus 0.8°C against minus 0.4°C on previous night, he said.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had 11cm of snow during the last 24 hours even as it recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against 0.4°C on previous night, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir, having snow depth of around 8 inches of snowfall, recorded a minimum of 0.0°C, same as on the previous night, the official said.

Reports reaching here said that Bandipora-Gurez road remained closed with over 2.0ft of snow at Razdan top, 2ft at Tulail and 1.5ft at Dawar.

Machil, Karna and Keran roads in Kupwara district also remained closed as higher reaches of north Kashmir district received 2-4ft of snow. 

Jammu, having 48mm of rainfall in 24 hours till 0830 hours, recorded a low of 10.3°C, down by 1.3°C from the previous night and normal of 7.3°C for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.
He said Banihal had 12cm of snowfall, Batote 0.6cm and Bhaderwah 3cm during the time.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 7.6°C against last night’s minus 7.3°C while Kargil station recorded a minimum of minus 7.6°C, the official said.(GNS)
 

3 FIRs against Dr Asif for using provocative language to invoke disaffection against the govt establishments & promoting enmity Between different groups, Also found directly involved in militancy in Kashmir: IGP Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 6: Jammu and Kashmir Police Thursday said to have busted a module it said was involved in killing of property dealer in Srinagar.

“On 22/12/2021 militants targeted and killed a property dealer namely Rauf Ahmed in Safakadal area. After the incident Srinagar Police started investigation into this killing. During the course of investigation movement of some suspects was detected in Srinagar City”, said a police spokesperson in a statement to GNS.

“Based on further analysis and credible human intelligence Srinagar Police detected suspicious movement of militants in Bhagat Barzulla area and alongwith CRPF laid special nakas and apprehended two militants of banned militant organization TRF/MGH, off shoots of LeT and JeM near Barzulla Bridge”, the statement reads.

Identifying the arrested militants as, Suhail Qadir Khanday son of Ghulam Qadir Khanday, resident of Tral pulwama and Suhail Mushtaq Waza son of Mushtaq Ahmed Waza, a resident of Nikloora Pulwama, both active, the spokesperson further said during the searches 2 pistols along with two pistol magazines and 30 pistol bullets were recovered on spot.

“On further questioning of militants incriminating material, arms and ammunition including 02 pistols, 06 pistol Magazines, 69 round, 02 pistol silencers have been recovered from their hideout in Srinagar City”, the statement read adding so far 4 pistols, 08 pistol magazines, 99 live rounds, 2 pistol silencers have been recovered in the case.”

“They further identified two associates namely Basit Bilal Makaya son of Bilal Ahmed Makaya, a resident of Qamar Abad Qamarwari and Naikoo Imad Nasar son of Farooq Ahmed Bhat, resident of Kiloora Shopian who were operating with them as OGWs”, the spokesperson said saying further that both associates have been arrested.

In this connection Case under FIR No 08/2021 of Saddar PS under sections 7/25 of the arms act and sections 18.23 of UAP Act has been registered in Police Station Saddar, the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson further said that “during the questioning, the arrested militants disclosed that they were operating in Srinagar City on the direction of one person namely Asif Maqbool Dar resident of MIG Colony Bemina, at present in Dhamam Saudi Arabia and Sajjad Gul, resident of HMT Parimpora at present in Pakistan.”

‘Both the handlers from Saudi Arabia and Pakistan were providing weapons and money through a network of OGWs being identified. This module has also done recce of security installations like NIA office, Delhi Police Headquarters etc. and shared the same with handlers in Pakistan.’

“As per the investigation the targets in the city for killings were also selected and conveyed to them by Dr Asif and Sajad Gul. Suhail Qadar Khandy was working in Saudi Arabia with Dr Asif Dar and in August 2021 on the direction of Dr Asif he came back and started working as an operative of TRF/MGH/for coordinating the collection of Arms/Ammunition, money and militant attacks in Srinagar”, the statement concludes.

Meanwhile IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar has told GNS that, “There are already 3 more case FIRs registered against Dr Asif in Srinagar for using provocative language to invoke disaffection against the government establishments and promoting enmity between different groups”, adding it was for the first time that Dr Asif found directly involved in militancy in Kashmir.” (GNS)

Srinagar, Jan 6: The Government of India has nominated Prof. Shakil A. Romshoo, Vice-Chancellor, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST Awantipora) and an acclaimed earth sciences scientist, as a Member of the Governing Body of the prestigious Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Dehradun, for a period of three years. WIHG Dehradun, is an autonomous research institute of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Govt. of India. The Institute is recognised as a national laboratory of international repute with state-of-the-art laboratories and other infrastructural facilities for undertaking advanced levels of research in earth sciences in the country.

Prof. Romshoo has successfully completed several national and international research projects with the geographical focus of the western Himalayas and has published more than 200 highly cited research papers. More than a dozen national and international awards have been conferred upon him in recognition of his research contribution, and he has also been elected as a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, the Indian Society of Remote Sensing, and the Indian Society of Geomatics. Professor Romshoo is the member of a score of policymaking committees and Working Groups on environment, water, climate change and disasters at local, national and international level. The nomination has been lauded by the entire IUST fraternity.

The SSG is a specialised security unit in Jammu and Kashmir created to protect chief ministers and former chief ministers in the former state.

Srinagar: The Centre has decided to withdraw the special security group (SSG) protection of four former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision to withdraw their SSG protection of National Conference’s Farooq Abdullah, his son and party vice president Omar Abdullah, PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad was taken after a security review meeting by the government, official sources said.

The SSG is a specialised security unit in Jammu and Kashmir created to protect chief ministers and former chief ministers in the former state.

“The decision is clearly political and a response to our increased political activities,” said Omar Abdullah, adding that he was not informed about the development.

“But none of this will silence us. The timing is important. All ex-CMs have become more vocal and taking on government,” he said.

“No one had the courtesy to inform us about it,” Mr Abdullah said.

Mehbooba Mufti also said she was not informed about the withdrawal of security.

“I have not been informed about it formally. I can’t say why they are doing it,” the PDP leader said.

“You know the kind of situation we are living in. Yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cavalcade was stopped in Punjab and how it was projected. Here in Kashmir they are withdrawing our security,” she said.

All the four former chief ministers will now be protected by security wing of J&K police based on their security categorisation and threat assessment.

“The Committee decided that the Ex-CMs of J&K shall be provided the security by the security wing as per their present categorization i.e., Z+ by name, with additional escorts/measures as per necessity and assessment of the Security wing,” reads an official communique.

Farooq Abdullah and Ghulam Nabi Azad are also protected by National Security Guards (NSG), the protection provided by the central government based on threat assessment of two former chief ministers.

Srinagar, Jan 05: The Jammu & Kashmir government has declared 1358 kanals and 6 marlas of land as “strategic areas” for training and operational requirements of the armed forces in Gulmarg and Sonamarg tourist resorts in Kashmir Valley.

A copy of notification issued by the J&K’s Tourism Department reveals that 1034 kanals and six marlas of land at Gulmarg and 354 Kanals at Sonamarg have been notified as strategic areas by the authorities while exercising powers under the Jammu and Kashmir Development Act.

The notification, a copy of which is in possession of news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), reveals that the land has been declared as a strategic area on the request of Army’s corps commander.

According to the notification, the corps commander shall ensure strict adherence to the environment laws to prevent any environmental hazard. “Corps commander shall ensure that no other applicable law in force in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is observed in breach,” reads the order.

As per the notification, the corps commander shall ensure that the order(s), if any, passed by any court or tribunal is strictly adhered to.

This is the first notification issued by the J&K government to declare any area as strategic area for armed forces after the Ministry of Home Affairs amended The Jammu and Kashmir Development Act-1970 in October 2020 through an executive order under the Reorganization Act.

On June 17, 2020, the J&K administrative council headed by then Lt Governor G.C. Murmu cleared the proposal to amend the J&K Control of Building Operations Act, 1988 and the J&K Development Act, 1970 for notifying “strategic areas” for use by the armed forces and regulating construction through a “special dispensation”.

Subsequently, the MHA amended these laws on October 26, 2020 to provide that  the Government may on the written request of an Army officer not below the rank of corp commander, declare an area as strategic area within a local area, only for direct operational and training requirements of armed forces, which may be excluded from the operation of this Act and rules/regulations made there under in the manner and to the extent specified in the declaration and the government may satisfy itself about the reasons cited for declaring the area as strategic area and will have such area notified accordingly with such conditions as may be required—(KNO)