‘Using our resources to keep VDCs motivated; Any move by MHA will led to strengthening of VDCs further; Trying our best to hon talent of J&K youth through sports; Panch killed in Kulgam was public representative, had no fault’
Jammu, Mar 03: Stating that the improvement in the overall security situation in J&K was a welcome step but nevertheless militancy was still a challenge as it was not over even though it has come down significantly.
Talking to media men on the sidelines of a sports event in Jammu, the DGP said that situation indeed has improved in J&K but militancy was still a challenge as it wasn’t over yet.
“After a long time and after hectic efforts, such a peaceful situation is being seen in Jammu and Kashmir. But militancy was still a challenge as it was down but not over,” the DGP said as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO). “We are acting against people who are running machinery of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and such people have been dealt with to a larger extent and efforts will continue further to corner them.”
Replying to a query about revamping of Village Defence Committees in Jammu and Kashmir as Village Defence Groups, DGP Singh said that talks of strengthening and revamping VDCs are going on since long and matter is before the Home Ministry.
“Agencies from Pakistan are trying to spread militancy in regions having peaceful situation. Police and security forces are foiling such designs and the efforts to foil such designs from across border will remain continue,” he said, adding that “the decision on VDCs is part of efforts under which we are trying to make best use of our resources on ground and to keep them well motivated so that nefarious designs on ground are foiled.”
He, however, said that any decision by Home Ministry will be for strengthening VDCs and for betterment of its members.
About the sports tournament organised in Jammu, Singh said that situation was not much favourable in past due to COVID as well as due to security situation but things have improved now and police are taking best possible steps to channelise the talent of youth in Jammu and Kashmir who are having immense talent.
“JKP in a mission called Civic Action Programme sponsored by Government of India is providing a platform to youth to showcase their talent.” JKP chief further said.
To a question regarding killing of a panch yesterday at Kulgam district the DGP said that the victim was a contractor and a public representative and has been shot dead for no fault—(KNO)
Srinagar, Mar 02: Senior superintendent of police CID wing, Tahir Ashraf has cautioned people of cyber scammers, using his name and image to threaten the people.
While talking (KNS), Tahir said that these scammers are now using the names of influential officers and doing cyber crimes.
He said that in one such case, the scammers have used his name and image to threaten the people in his name, as he has cracked major cases during his tenure as SSP Cyber Police Kashmir.
“These people use the name of influential officers and are doing cyber crimes and scams to rob people of their genuine earnings for silly mistakes. Now these scammers are using my name, image and previous designation to threaten people,” he said.
He also asked people to report such cases to the nearest police station.
Srinagar, Mar 02 : The schools of winter zones in Kashmir division reopened today for physical academic activities amid jubiliations and emotions among students, parents and teachers.
The officials of the School Education Department told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that there was a good footfall of students in almost all schools of the valley.
Jubilant scenes were seen outside almost in all schools that reopened today and students were excited to attend the classes physically. At all schools, Covid Appropriate Behaviour(CAB) was followed in spirit while aa first day of reopening was marked by general introudction, prayers and playing of sports etc.
Teachers and parents of students were also excited about school reopening—(KNO)
Over 91.5% of adults in the state have received at least one dose and 70.4% of adults are fully vaccinated with both doses
Mumbai With widespread hybrid immunity due to natural infections and high vaccination coverage, the possibility of a fourth wave hitting Maharashtra is bleak, according to experts. The virus will, however, continue to circulate in low numbers, they predict. Daily new cases in Maharashtra have been below 1,000 since February 25. Amidst the waning third wave, the state has also announced the opening of schools and colleges and is likely to introduce complete relaxations soon. Over 91.5% of adults in the state have received at least one dose and 70.4% of adults are fully vaccinated with both doses. As many as 15,27,551 people have received the third dose. “The large exposure to the virus, the coverage of double vaccinations and booster doses in states like Maharashtra will keep the fourth wave at bay,” said Dr Shashank Joshi, member of the state’s Covid-19 task force. “We are unlikely to see a fourth wave unless a new, virulent, more contagious variant of concern evolves. In any case, we will have to learn to live with Covid as the virus will remain in circulation,” he said. According to Joshi, pandemics, that the world has seen so far, have lasted for around three years. “We are already in the third year of Covid-19,” he said and added that there should not be any room for complacency. “The emphasis on indoor masking and vaccinations should continue,” he said. Given the high population density of cities like Mumbai, the risk of cluster transmission always remains high. As schools, colleges and offices open fully, experts say that authorities must watch out for such cluster transmissions and deploy well-planned, targetted genome sequencing to remain alert about emerging variants. “My hunch is that the pandemic has ended with the Omicron-driven third wave,” said Vellore-based virologist Dr T Jacob John. “We will now likely be in the endemic phase wherein there will be slow spread, steady but low number of cases. Even if we look at the virology and epidemiology point of view, a fourth wave is most unlikely now,” he said. John highlighted the importance of being vigilant, continuing genome sequencing and masking. “The masking mandate is not just going to help limit the spread of Covid, but also other respiratory illnesses and infections like tuberculosis,” he said. A statistical forecasting study by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur, published on a pre-print server MedRxiv, has predicted that the fourth wave in India will set around June 22, peak on August 23 and end by October. The study, yet to be peer-reviewed, also states that the occurrence of a new variant, the effect of vaccination- first, second and booster dose- may affect the arrival of the fourth wave. But such predictions in the past have failed and it’s best to not consider them as speculations, according to task force member Joshi. Infectious disease expert Dr Om Srivastava, who is also of the state’s Covid-19 task force, said that it’s best not to predict, but be prepared for any situation. “It’s time for us to bring back some sense of normalcy, with stringent masking norms in public places. If we are likely to see the fourth surge, a lot of factors like temperature, humidity, crowding and overall immunity within the population will come into play. Thus, predicting the fourth wave is difficult,” he said.
Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said his party will contest elections whenever they are held in Jammu and Kashmir but remained critical of the ongoing delimitation exercise. He was speaking after the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD), comprising five mainstream political parties of Jammu and Kashmir, met at his residence here to discuss the fallout of the draft recommendations of the Delimitation Commission. “We will fight the elections, there is no doubt about it. We are not going to run away from it but these (draft recommendation of the delimitation commission) are the things which pain us,” Abdullah told reporters. He reiterated his charge that the exercise was done to benefit the BJP with the ultimate aim of legitimising the revocation of Article 370 by the Centre in 2019. After the meeting, PAGD spokesman M Y Tarigami said they were not against delimitation as it was due in 2026, but added the ongoing exercise is “’unconstitutional” as it is being done under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act which has been challenged in the Supreme Court by the constituent of the alliance. “Our stand is that what happened on August 5and 6, 2019 in Parliament was unconstitutional,” Tarigami said referring to abrogation of Article 370 and the reorganisation of erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir State into two Union territories. Abdullah, who heads the PAGD, said the BJP was hoping that it can win the maximum number of seats in the assembly after the delimitation. “They want to pass a resolution in the assembly that whatever they did in August 2019 has been accepted. I am sure they will then take it to the Supreme Court and say it has been done. “Otherwise, what was the need for a Delimitation Commission here when it was agreed that the entire country would undergo the exercise in 2026? Why was Jammu and Kashmir targeted?” he said. The former chief minister said the elections are the basis of democracy and the ‘’first thing in that democratic situation is the delimitation commission’s report’’. “What they (delimitation commission) have done is very unfortunate… Look what they have done, one constituency I will tell you about is Anantnag. How is the member of parliament elected from Rajouri going to look after the areas on this side in Anantnag or how is the MP elected from Anantnag going to look after the areas in Poonch and Rajouri. This is just one instance,” he said. Abdullah questioned the claims that the delimitation exercise was aimed at bringing the people together and carving out constituencies in such a manner that it’s easy for the people to have their cases projected. “It does not seem that the Delimitation Commission has done that. It has further alienated the people,” he alleged.
Incredible footage has emerged of an elderly driver being pulled out of a car moments after being run over by a military tank.
Watch Video:
The shocking incident took place in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, as Russian forces start to descend on the city amidst its military invasion of the country.
In the short clip, a tank – said to have been stolen by Russian troops – can be seen travelling down a main boulevard in the Obolon district in the north of the city.
Disclaimer: This video is not a work by Kashmir Today Staff.
An armored brigade is starting to make its way to Europe, as part of the U.S. response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a senior defense official confirmed Thursday.
Most of the troops will come from the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Georgia, along with some supporting fires and transportation units, the official said.
Another group of U.S. troops will head to Germany to beef up defense of NATO. (Chris Seward/AP)
“So they’re going to Germany initially,” the official said. “They could be repositioned after originally getting into Germany to other places as needed.”
The official could not confirm whether the brigade will be taking advantage of prepositioned equipment housed in Germany or Belgium, though it’s unlikely they will be bringing heavy armored vehicles from Georgia.
Some members of the brigade and its supporting elements are part of the 8,500 troops put on prepare-to-deploy orders earlier this month, when intelligence assessments began to point toward an imminent Russian invasion.
When they arrive, there will be 14,000 U.S. troops mobilized in Europe specifically to respond to the Ukraine situation, in addition to 80,000 already based there.
They include 4,700 from the 82nd Airborne Division in Poland, 300 from the XVIII Airborne Corps in Germany and 1,000 from the Germany-based 2nd Cavalry Regiment, who made their way to Romania in early February.
President Joe Biden reiterated during a press conference Thursday that none of the mobilized troops are tasked with defending Ukraine or fighting Russian attacks.
A day into on-the-ground combat, the senior defense official couldn’t confirm how many Ukrainian or Russian casualties have accumulated so far.
“Without being too specific, we have seen some indications that Ukrainian units are fighting back,” he said. “But with what effect, and on what scale, I can’t be more specific than that.”
And while he did confirm reports that Russian airborne troops are actively fighting in Kharkiv, he couldn’t say whether multiple reports of a takeover of the Chernobyl nuclear site.
“We do believe with some confidence that some Russian soldiers have moved through that area and may still be in that area,” he said.
Meghann Myers is the Pentagon bureau chief at Military Times. She covers operations, policy, personnel, leadership and other issues affecting service members.
KYIV, Ukraine — Kyiv came under heavy air attack on Friday as Russian troops entered the Ukrainian capital, imperiling one of Europe’s most populous cities and its democratically elected seat of government.
A Russian missile struck a multistory residential building in Kyiv’s southeastern Pozniaky district, injuring three people — including one critically — and causing significant structural damage, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Ukrainian surface-to-air defense systems intercepted another missile and downed a fighter jet in roughly the same area.
Pete Kiehart for BuzzFeed News | Ukranian armored vehicles on the highway near Kyiv, Feb. 25, 2022.
Armored artillery vehicles rolled into Obolon, a neighborhood on the northwest outskirts, as Ukraine’s military urged residents there to hunker down and “make Molotov cocktails, neutralize the occupiers!”
BuzzFeed News; Google Maps
In central Kyiv, BuzzFeed News heard sirens and an announcement over loudspeakers urging people to “immediately go to the nearest shelter.” Gunfire rang out in the government quarter, the Associated Press reported.
Guests and staff were evacuated from the Hotel Ukraina, which overlooks the city’s iconic Independence Square.
“Last time our capital experienced anything like this was in 1941 when it was attacked by Nazi Germany,” Dmytro Kuleba, the country’s foreign affairs minister, tweeted early Friday morning. “Ukraine defeated that evil and will defeat this one.”
Pete Kiehart for BuzzFeed News | A fully armed Ukrainian Su-27 fighter jet flies toward Kyiv on Feb. 25.
Ukraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said in a video address that he was Russia’s “ target number one” but would remain at work in Kyiv.
“They want to destroy Ukraine politically by destroying the head of state,” he said.
Zelensky added: “Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not just an invasion, it is the beginning of a war against Europe.”
Amid rumors in Russian media that he had fled the country, Zelensky later posted a video to social media on Friday evening showing him and his team outside Kyiv’s presidential administration building. “We are here. We are in Kyiv. We are defending Ukraine,” he said.
Ukrainian Police Department Press Service via AP | An image from Ukrainian Police Department Press Service released on Friday, shows firefighters inspecting the damage at a building following a rocket attack on the city of Kyiv.
Soon, air raid sirens began blaring once again as missiles were fired on the capital. Explosions reverberated across the city, rattling windows and lighting up the night sky with a haunting orange glow.
The fresh onslaught came as the US, UK, and EU all said they would level personal sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, freezing the pair’s assets.
“Kyiv falling is a real possibility,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday as she announced the sanctions.
Moments ago in Kyiv. Sirens and empty streets. Never in 12 years have I seen it so bare and eerie. pic.twitter.com/ewujNtznEo
The streets of Kyiv had been eerily quiet Friday morning, beyond the continuing sound of air raid sirens. Feral dogs roamed squares normally packed with people. Most businesses were closed and those that were open had few customers.
Many of the city’s 3 million people spent Thursday night sleeping on their floor, in basements, or in bomb shelters. Thousands sought safety hundreds of feet underground in the Kyiv subway system, which was built after the Second World War.
A centrally located hotel where BuzzFeed News journalists stayed called guests around 3 a.m. local time to ask them to relocate to its shelter, where employees distributed pillows and blankets and offered beanbags to sleep on. Families and businesspeople stayed glued to their phones for news of expected air raids.
Many others chose to flee. Long lines of outward traffic continued throughout Friday after a curfew limiting people’s movements ended at 7 a.m.
Pete Kiehart for BuzzFeed News
But there were some people who clearly opted to stay — and to fight. Some dressed in camouflage and other military-type attire, while others simply donned neon puffer coats. They were volunteers with the newly created Territorial Defense Brigade of Kyiv, and they carried AK-47 and AR-15 rifles, as well as shotguns. BuzzFeed News saw them standing on nearly every other street corner, beside local government buildings and cultural institutions, and on overpasses around the capital. One man was seen on the outskirts of Kyiv running with a rifle through traffic and jumping into a car that then sped off.
Far from regular soldiers, Ukraine’s scrappy territorial fighters look like weekend hobbyists. But according to the Interior Ministry, they dealt a serious blow to Russian troops trying to storm Kyiv, stopping their advance from the northwest.
Russia’s full-scale invasion continued apace across the rest of the country on Friday. Hundreds of miles away in the Luhansk region in eastern Ukraine, emergency responders were rescuing people from buildings struck by shelling, officials said. At least six people were rescued and one was killed, according to state emergency services.
Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion despite tougher sanctions imposed by the international community and widespread condemnation, including from the NATO North Atlantic Council, United Nations, and G7 leaders.
Zelensky on Thursday compared Russia’s actions to those of the Soviet Union, describing the invasion as the “sound of the new Iron Curtain that’s falling and closing Russia from the civilized world.”
He also asked world leaders for “powerful assistance” in fighting Russia on multiple fronts, saying that if they don’t, “tomorrow the war will knock on your door.”
To that end, President Joe Biden said he was sending additional troops to Germany to strengthen NATO members against Russian aggression, although he made it clear that US forces would not be on the frontlines of the conflict. Instead, he announced new sanctions that included blocking the assets of four large Russian banks, export controls, and sanctioning more oligarchs and their families.
“This is a dangerous moment for all of Europe and freedom around the world,” he said.
Emilio Morenatti / AP | Traffic clogs roadways as people try to leave Kyiv on Feb. 24, 2022.
In one of multiple addresses issued Thursday and Friday, the Ukrainian president again pointed to the lack of military support from foreign nations, saying “the world’s most powerful forces are watching from afar.”
“Did yesterday’s sanctions convince Russia? We hear in our sky and see on our earth that this is not enough,” Zelensky said. “Foreign troops are still trying to become more active in our territory.”
Even before the invasion of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said they were losing ground on multiple fronts and that Russian forces had seized control of the decommissioned Chernobyl nuclear power plant.
The invasion started with air missiles striking cities across Ukraine in the early morning hours on Thursday, and escalated hours later with ground troops moving over the border from Crimea, which Russia took by force in 2014.
The violence expanded to regions previously untouched by the conflict in eastern Ukraine. Video posted on social media Thursday morning appeared to show a missile hitting Ivano-Frankivsk, a city hundreds of miles west of that front line.
Emilio Morenatti / AP | A woman holds her baby as she boards a bus leaving Kyiv on Feb. 24, 2022.
As night fell, the Russian military claimed to have destroyed at least 74 Ukrainian military sites, including 11 airfields. Zelensky said that at least 137 Ukrainians had been killed so far, including both civilian and military casualties, and another 316 people had been wounded. Ukraine’s health minister said earlier that the casualties included a boy who died when shelling struck an apartment building.
The situation had started to rapidly deteriorate when on Monday, Putin recognized the “independence” of the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk regions — two areas that actually belong to Ukraine but were taken by Russia during a war it started eight years ago. Reacting to bogus and unproven reports of alleged Ukrainian aggression, Putin then ordered his troops into the two territories on a “peacekeeping mission” in what was widely seen as a false pretext for war. Even though Putin has denied his ambitions to occupy Ukraine, he has also said he sees no reason for the country to exist independently of Russia, and the US suspects his aim is to install his own puppet regime.
Many Ukrainians continue to expect the situation to deteriorate. Friday afternoon the air threat persisted, and BuzzFeed News spotted two Ukrainian fighter jets heading northeast toward Kyiv and then back in the southwesterly direction from which they came.
France is to deploy 500 military personnel as part of NATO forces to Romania after Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine, the army chief of staff said Friday.
“NATO has decided to reinforce its presence to send a very clear sign of strategic solidarity, to position forces in Romania,” Thierry Burkhard told Radio France Internationale and broadcaster France24.
“We will send around 500 men with armoured vehicles.”
He said France would also maintain a military presence in Estonia, which borders Russia, beyond March.
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