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Pakistan violates ceasefire along International Border in Jammu

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/643225/jawan-injured-pak-army-violates.html

Press Trust of India, Jammu, Nov 17 2017, 10:12 IST
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An Army jawan was injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Jammu districts, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said today. PTI file photo

An Army jawan was injured as Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire by firing and shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch and Jammu districts, drawing heavy retaliation from the Indian Army, an official said today.

Pakistani Army resorted to ceasefire violation for the third consecutive day today.

"Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 0745 hours in Poonch sector along the Line of Control (LoC)," a senior Army officer said today.

Indian Army is retaliating strongly and effectively. The firing is still on, he said.

In another ceasefire violation, Pakistani troops fired on forward posts along the LoC in Khour belt of Akhnoor sector last night to Indian troops gave a befitting reply, the officer said.

An Army jawan sustained minor injuries in the exchange of fire, he said.

On Wednesday, Pakistani troops violated the ceasefire along the LoC in Poonch sector.

On November 2, a BSF jawan was killed when Pakistani Rangers attacked a patrol party along the International Border in Samba district.

A girl was injured when Pakistani troops opened fire from small arms along the LoC in Karmara belt of Poonch district on October 31.

On October 18, eight civilians, including a two-year-old child, were injured in heavy Pakistani shelling in the district.
 
http://indianexpress.com/article/in...ch-jammu-and-kashmir-line-of-control-4941332/

By: Express News Service | Jammu | Updated: November 17, 2017 10:49 am

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Ceasefire violation in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday (Express Photo/Shuaib Masoodi/Representational)


All the schools near the Line of Control (LoC) in Shahpur and Degwar areas of border Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir were on Friday closed for the day following unprovoked mortar shelling by Pakistani troops.

Sources said the decision to close educational institutions in Gulpur and Nakarkote areas was taken by district administration as a precautionary measure as shelling from across the border had been intense since7 am. However, there were no casualties or damage on the Indian side so far.

The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, sources said, adding that exchange of fire between the two sides has stopped at the moment.

The latest ceasefire violation from Pakistan has come two days after its troops had resorted to unprovoked mortar shelling on forward Indian positions in Shahpur area on Wednesday.

At least a dozen people including civilians and soldiers have been killed in nearly 300 incidents of ceasefire violations along the border in 2017 so far. In 2016, there were 228 such incidents.

The escalation along the borders had led to suspension of cross LoC travel and trade on Poonch-Rawalakote road through Chakkan Da Bagh for nearly four months, besides migration of a large number of people from villages near LoC in Nowshera sector. Though travel and trade between two sides have resumed last week, those having migrated from their native places are yet to return home.
 
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...in-shootout/article20550422.ece?homepage=true
Srinagar, November 18, 2017 14:05 IST
Updated: November 18, 2017 14:14 IST

VBK-SRINAGAR

A CRPF jawan stands guard during restrictions, in Old City Srinagar on Saturday. | Photo Credit: Nissar Ahmad


The move comes a day after a local militant and a policeman were killed in a shootout in Srinagar's Zakura area.

Authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions in parts of Srinagar, closed educational institutions and detained separatists as “a precautionary measure” to maintain law and order, officials said on Saturday.

The move came a day after a local militant and a policeman were killed in a shootout in Srinagar's Zakura area.

Areas of capital Srinagar falling under the jurisdiction of six police stations — Parimpora, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, M.R. Gunj and Rainawari — were sealed with concertina wires and barricaded to stop movement of vehicles.

An official said Section 144 would be strictly implemented in these areas “as a precautionary measure.”

Meanwhile, All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest. JKLF chief Yasin Malik was also shifted to the Central Jail as part of the crackdown on separatists.

All educational institutes were closed. Kashmir University, in a press statement said, the class work will be suspended for a day “but scheduled examination will be held.”

Train services in south Kashmir were also suspended.

Slain militant, Mugees Mir, who the police believe is affiliated to the militant faction headed by Zakir Musa, was injured in Zakura shootout and succumbed to his injuries later. He is a resident of Parimpora in Srinagar. Hundreds of people participated in his funeral in Srinagar.

Musa heads the al-Qaeda chapter, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, in Kashmir. It was the first casualty inflicted on the group by the security agencies. One militant had been arrested from the shootout site.

Meanwhile, a Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen spokesman claimed that the militant belonged to his group and was “a district commander.” He added that Mir was in “no way affiliated to Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.”
 
http://indianexpress.com/article/in...ashmirs-bandipora-operation-underway-4943380/

Bandipora encounter LIVE updates: Five militants, one IAF guard killed as operation underway in Hajin


The encounter broke out between security forces and militants earlier in the day after security forces carried out a search operation to locate militants in Hajin area's Chandergeer village.

By: Express Web Desk | New Delhi | Updated: November 18, 2017 5:48 pm

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...ashmirs-bandipora-operation-underway-4943380/

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The operation is still on, officials said. (Representational Image)

At least five militants were gunned down by security forces in an encounter in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Saturday, ANI reported. An Indian Air Force guard was killed while two Army personnel got injured during the encounter, which ensued after security forces carried out a search operation to locate militants in Hajin area’s Chandergeer village.

A police official said that the forces had received specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, following which the search operation was initiated, according to PTI.

The operation resulted in an encounter when the militants fired on the search party of the security forces, resulting in the death of five militants.

Below are the LIVE updates for Bandipora operation:

5.50 pm: According to officials, the operation is currently underway.
 
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...-protesters/article20552524.ece?homepage=true


As part of Centre’s bid to reach out to people of the State

Home Minister Rajnath Singh has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to move all juveniles, arrested for throwing stones and other unlawful activities, from jails to remand homes and review their cases sympathetically, officials said.

The decision is considered to be an attempt to reach out to the people of the State by the Centre after the appointment of Dineshwar Sharma as Special Representative to initiate talks with all stakeholders.

An olive branch
The key issue was discussed in detail at Wednesday’s meeting of the core group on Kashmir, chaired by the Union Home Minister and attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, where it was decided to ask the Jammu and Kashmir government to work on the cases of juveniles.

After the core group meeting, the Jammu and Kashmir government had been asked to shift all juveniles, arrested for pelting stones and other crimes, to remand homes and review their cases sympathetically, a Home Ministry source, privy to the development, said.

The State government is expected to take the initiative to shift the juveniles to remand homes and review their cases soon, the official said.

Top officials of the Ministries of Home and Defence, chiefs of intelligence agencies, besides Mr. Sharma, also attended the meeting.

Mr. Sharma also briefed the group about the first round of talks he had with various sections of society there last week.

He will again visit the State soon.

Counter-terrorism
Though the Centre has initiated dialogue with all stakeholders as part of its effort to bring lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir, the anti-militancy operations in the State against violence by Pakistan-based groups is likely to go on.

Director-General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir S.P. Vaid recently said that around 170 militants were gunned down by the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir this year.

Two Army soldiers were killed and a CRPF jawan suffered injuries in an encounter in Pulwama district of the state on November 2.

Three militants were gunned down in Pulwama in an encounter in which an Army jawan was also killed on November 6.

Three militants, including the nephew of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar’s, were gunned down by security forces in Pulwama district on November 7.
 
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/643519/lakhvis-nephew-among-six-ultras.html

Zulfikar Majid, Srinagar, DH News Service, Nov 18 2017, 20:35 IST
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J&K Police chief Shesh Pal Vaid confirmed that six militants, including Lakhvi's nephew, were gunned down. File photo

At least six Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, including the nephew of 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and an IAF commando were killed in an encounter in Hajin area of north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday.

Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said six militants, including LeT commander Mahmood Bhai, were killed in the gunfight. An Indian Air Force Garud was also killed and one army soldier injured in the operation, he said. The Garud Commando is the special forces unit of the IAF.

Sources said the encounter broke out in Chandergair village of Hajin, 32 km from here, after a joint team of Army's 13-Rashtriya Rifles, special operations group (SOG) of J&K police and 45 Battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) launched a cordon-and-search-operation following specific inputs about the presence of a group of heavily-armed militants.


"As the search approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired upon them, which was retaliated, triggering an encounter," they said.


J&K Police chief Shesh Pal Vaid confirmed that six militants, including Lakhvi's nephew, were gunned down. "Weapons and ammunition recovered. One of the terrorists named Owaid is son of Zakir Rehman Maki and nephew of Zakir Rehman Lakhvi," he tweeted.

In another tweet, Vaid said LeT commanders Zargam and Mehmood were also killed in the operation. He said all the six slain militants were Pakistani nationals.

Encounter hotbed

Hajin has witnessed several encounters between militants and security forces in the last one year. On October 11, two IAF commandos and an equal number of militants were killed while six security personnel were injured in a similar encounter in Hajin.

A senior police officer told DH that it was a group of nine LeT militants led by Mehmood Bhai which had made Hajin their basin for almost two years. "Mehmood took over when Musaib (another close relative of Lakhvi) was killed by the forces in Hajin in January," he said.

Mehmood Bhai is the third man from the Lakhvi family to be killed in Kashmir. In 2007, Lakhvi's 20-year-old son Mohammad Qasim was killed in an encounter with the army and J&K police. Lakhvi is among the three globally prosecuted terrorists named by India (Hafiz Saeed and Dawood Ibrahim being the other two) and the European Union in their joint statement to combat terrorism.

"The killing of Mehmood Bhai is a big jolt to LeT and we are hopeful that after this operation, security forces will gain upper hand in Hajin and its adjoining areas again," the officer said.

The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the Indian Air Force. It was formed in 2004 with the aim of carrying out counter-terror operations.

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A total of six militants were killed by security forces in an encounter in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Saturday, ANI reported. One of the deceased has been identified as Owaid, Abdul Rehman Makki’s son and 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi’s nephew.

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...ashmirs-bandipora-operation-underway-4943380/

An Indian Air Force Garud commando was killed while an Army personnel got injured during the encounter, which ensued after security forces carried out a search operation to locate militants in Hajin area’s Chandergeer village.

Arms and ammunition were also recovered from the site.

A police official said that the forces had received specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, following which the search operation was initiated, according to PTI.

Born on December 30, 1960, Lakhvi, also referred to by those he has trained as “uncle”, has long served as the Lashkar’s overall military chief and is a member of its powerful general council. He is alleged to have directed operations targeting the Indian forces in Jammu and Kashmir, and routed dozens of Lashkar operatives to Chechnya, Bosnia and Iraq.

Lakhvi is also among the three globally prosecuted terrorists named by India(Hafiz Saeed and Dawood Ibrahim being the other two) and the European Union in their joint statement to combat terrorism.

Below are the highlights for Bandipora operation:

7:05 pm: The encounter has ended. A total of six Lashkar-e-taiba militants have been killed, including 26/11 Mumbai attack mastermind Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi’s nephew Owaid, ANI reported. Arms and ammunition has also been recovered from the militants.



6:50 pm: Meanwhile, authorities have decided to order suspension of data services, including 2G, 3G and 4G services in Bandipora in view of the ongoing encounter, ANI reported.

6:45 pm: The defense spokesman has also confirmed that 1 Indian Air Force Garud commando was killed in the encounter, PTI reported.

6:34 pm: A defense spokesman has confirmed that 5 militants have been killed in the encounter, PTI reported.

6:26 pm: Jammu and Kashmir DGP Shesh Paul Vaid took to twitter to congratulate the forces for gunning down the militants. “Great success for security forces! So far 5 terrorists have been eliminated at Hajin Bandipore by a joint operation of @JmuKmrPolice, @crpfindia and Army,” he tweeted.

6:15 pm: The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the Indian Air Force. It was formed in 2004 with the aim of carrying out counter-terror operations. The force also helps in protecting important assets of the air force including fighter bases and areas meant for holding aircraft and ammunition.

6:10 pm: “Five terrorists have been killed in an ongoing encounter at Hajin,” PTI quoted Srinagar-based Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia as saying.

5.50 pm: According to officials, the operation is currently underway.
 
Militants have been particularly active over the last year in Pakharpora, located strategically in the district of Budgam, for it leads into South Kashmir as well as Srinagar city.

india Updated: Dec 03, 2017 19:01 IST

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...-of-kashmir/story-Ri5UA0u9FeW6ZiIaCJq2SK.html


A recent encounter in which four Jaish-e-Mohammed militants were killed in Budgam’s Pakharpora area is being seen as the security forces’ maiden entry into an area popularly known as ‘Tora Bora’ because of the heavy presence of foreign militants there, officials here said.

The militants are often in hiding in the area’s deep forests, a maze not very different from the labyrinth of caves of Taliban-controlled Tora Bora in northern Afghanistan, they said.

The Special Operations Group of Jammu and Kashmir police and Army carried out its first operation in this region on Thursday, killing the four terrorists.

In April this year, two militants were killed at Hyat Pura, 8km from Pakharpora, but that officials said was a chance encounter as the incident followed a routine check.

Militants have been particularly active over the last year in Pakharpora, located strategically in the district of Budgam, for it leads into South Kashmir as well as Srinagar city.

Heightened militancy this year has been receiving ground support, with local people strongly resisting the forces, especially during counter-insurgency operations.

The Valley’s ‘Tora Bora’ had figured prominently in many meetings of security agencies after the area, 45km from here, became the infiltration route for militants entering South Kashmir, the epicentre of unrest following the killing of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant group, on July 8 last year.

An official said the region has become the “reception area” for foreign militants who sneak into South Kashmir via Pakharpora. The dense forests and deep gorges in the region provide a natural cover to the militants.

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http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...ch-district/story-8BfMBFIvXXR8CcGNmpr1QI.html

Pakistani troops resorted to firing and shelling along the LoC after a gap of three days.

india Updated: Dec 03, 2017 17:04 IST

After a brief lull, Pakistani troops again violated the ceasefire with India along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday and shelled the forward areas, a police official said.

The shelling from across the border began in Khari Karmara area at 10.55am and continued for about an hour, the official said.

He said the Indian security forces along the LoC retaliated effectively to the Pakistani firing and shelling.

“There was no report of any casualty in the latest ceasefire violation,” he said.

Pakistani troops resorted to firing and shelling along the LoC after a gap of three days.

Last week, Pakistani troops shelled various sectors in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri between November 27 and 29.

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/militants-hurl-grenade-at-police-station-in-handwara-4966344/

He said there was no damage due to the explosion.

By: PTI | Srinagar | Published: December 3, 2017 10:00 pm

Militants tonight hurled a grenade on a police station in north Kashmir’s Handwara area, but there was no damage, police said. “A grenade was hurled on police station Kralgund (in Handwara area of Kupwara) this evening by unknown militants,” a police official said.

He said there was no damage due to the explosion.
 
Director general of Jammu and Kashmir police SP Vaid said security forces have cordoned off the area and launched hunt for the militants. ‘An exchange of fire is on’.
india Updated: Dec 04, 2017 21:22 IST
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HT Correspondents
Hindustan Times, Srinagar
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One army jawan injured in an encounter between militants and army in Qazigund on Monday.(ANI Twitter)

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...ier-injured/story-VaOm1QmIpVIFvgWhmUF7wI.html



Two militants and a soldier were killed in a gunfight that raged in south Kashmir on Monday afternoon after militants attacked an army convoy on national highway in Qazigund.

“Two dead bodies of terrorists recovered. Search still on,” director general of police (DGP), Shesh Paul Vaid tweeted.

“(An) army convoy on its way to Srinagar fired at by terrorists near Qazigund area at 1240 hrs. One soldier on Road Opening Party (ROP) duty injured,” an army spokesperson said.

Local reports said the security forces blasted the house in which the militants were hiding.

The encounter which continued till late in the evening also disrupted traffic on the highway.

“The place lies right on the highway so we had to divert the traffic,” said deputy inspector general of police, South Kashmir, SP Pani.

Director general of Jammu and Kashmir police SP Vaid told HT that the fire had come from a house near Qazigund and the area has been cordoned off. “An exchange of fire is on.”

According to sources, army convoys are easy targets for militants.

In June last year, eight CRPF personnel were killed and 20 injured in an ambush on a convoy in Pampore on the outskirts of Srinagar. In December, three soldiers were killed when motorcycle-borne militants fired on an army bus in south Kashmir.

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Indian security forces along the LoC retaliated effectively to the Pakistani firing and shelling. Tribune file
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...late-ceasefire-in-poonch-district/507528.html

After a brief lull, Pakistani troops on Sunday again violated the ceasefire with India along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir and shelled the forward areas, a police official said.

The shelling from across the border began in Khari Karmara area at 10.55 am and continued for about an hour, the official said.

He said the Indian security forces along the LoC retaliated effectively to the Pakistani firing and shelling.

“There was no report of any casualty in the latest ceasefire violation,” he said.

Pakistani troops resorted to firing and shelling along the LoC after a gap of three days.

Last week, Pakistani troops shelled various sectors in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri between November 27 and 29. PTI
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http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...-target-police-station-in-kupwara/507635.html

Posted at: Dec 4, 2017, 12:51 AM;
last updated: Dec 4, 2017, 12:51 AM (IST)
Militants target police station in Kupwara

Militants lobbed a grenade at a police station in north Kashmir’s frontier Kupwara district this evening. There was, however, no report of any injury. Sources said militants this evening lobbed a grenade at a police station at Kralgund, Handwara.

“No one was injured in the attack,” they said. Soon after the attack, security forces cordoned off the area to nab the militants.

In the past 24 hours, this was the second attack on a police station in north Kashmir. On Saturday evening, militants hurled a grenade at a police station in Baramulla.

The police said the grenade was lobbed at the Baramulla police station, but it exploded outside the premises.

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A villager shows splinter marks on a wall in the RS Pura area

http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...ns-by-pak-along-border-in-7-years/507633.html


Pakistan has violated the ceasefire along the International Border and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir more than 720 times this year, the highest in the past seven years.

According to the data compiled by the Union Home Ministry, Pakistani forces have violated ceasefire 724 times along the IB and the LoC till October in comparison to 449 times in 2016. As many as 12 civilians and 17 security personnel were killed in the firing from across the border till October, a home ministry official said quoting the data.

A total of 79 civilians and 67 security personnel were also injured in the firing incidents. The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border, the Line of Control and the Actual Ground Position Line in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.

India shares a 3,323-km border with Pakistan, of which 221 km of the IB and 740 km of the LoC fall in Jammu and Kashmir. In 2016, there were 449 incidents of ceasefire violations in which 13 civilians and 13 security personnel were killed and 83 civilians and 99 security personnel were injured.

In 2014, there were 583 incidents of ceasefire violation in which 14 civilians and three security personnel were killed and 101 civilians and 28 security personnel were injured.

In 2015, the number of ceasefire violations was 405; 347 in 2013, 114 in 2012, 62 in 2011 and 70 in 2010. — PTI Forward areas in Poonch shelled Jammu: After a brief lull, the Pakistan army on Sunday again violated the ceasefire with India along the LoC in Poonch district and shelled the forward areas, a police official said. The shelling began in the Khari Karmara area at 10.55 am and continued for about an hour, the official said. PTI
 
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http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...ouri-sector/story-hwZLNWdd1bRXqbqkMpYAhJ.html

The Pakistan Army fired from small arms and lobbed mortar shells at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Tuesday.

The Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively.

“The Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars from 1730 hours in the Naushera sector along the Line of Control,” a defence spokesperson said.

The exchange of fire ended at 6:20pm, he said.

Pakistan troops had on November 29 and 28 breached the truce in the Sunderbani and Poonch sectors.

They violated the ceasefire for three consecutive days from November 15 to 17 in Jammu and Poonch districts.

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...tants-killed-in-anantnag-gunfight/508159.html

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Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, December 4

One soldier and two militants were killed today in an encounter triggered by an attack on an Army convoy in the Qazigund area of Anantnag district. The attack on the convoy also left a soldier injured.

“One soldier was killed in the gunfight,” defence spokesperson Rajesh Kalia confirmed while adding that the injured soldier was stable and under treatment.

Director General of Police S P Vaid confirmed that two bodies of militants had been retrieved from the site of the gunfight. “A search operation, however, continues,” Vaid said. According to police reports, the militants opened fire at a Srinagar-bound Army convoy about 1:20 pm near Bonigam village of Qazigund along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

“They fired indiscriminately, leaving an Army man injured,” a senior police officer said, adding that the area was cordoned off soon after the attack. He said contact was soon established with the militants, who had taken refuge in a residential house.

“The militants were asked to surrender but they opened fire. The fire was retaliated, triggering an encounter, which lasted several hours,” the police officer said.

The house where the militants were hiding was blasted. After the retrieval of the two bodies, a combing operation was launched in the area. Clashes erupted in the area soon after the encounter began. Security forces used tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesting youth.

Unconfirmed reports suggested that a civilian sustained a minor injury during the clashes.

Meanwhile, the Lashkar-e-Toiba claimed the responsibility for the attack. They also claimed that four Army men were killed in the attack. Two policemen were also injured in the neighboring Kulgam district in an accidental fire at a local police station. “Both are stable and under treatment,” a police official said. Clashes erupt
  • Clashes erupted in the area soon after the encounter began. Security forces had to use tear-smoke shells to disperse the protesting youth. Unconfirmed reports suggested that a civilian sustained a minor injury during the clashes
  • The house where the militants were hiding was blasted. After the retrieval of the two bodies, a combing operation was launched in the area
Two policemen injured in accidental fire

Two policemen were injured on Monday in Kulgam district in an accidental fire at a local police station. “Both the policemen are stable and under treatment,” a police official said

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Darshan Lal and Tilak Raj narrate their woes at Arnia village. Tribune Photo: Inderjeet Singh
Arteev Sharma
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/jammu-kashmir/shelling-fear-haunts-arnia-residents/508162.html
Tribune News Service

Arnia, December 4

The fear of Pakistani shelling has deepened in the mind of border villagers to such an extent that they look for safety even when celebratory crackers are burst during marriages or other occasions. Arnia town, about 45 km from district headquarters, is located close to the International Border but it never felt the brunt of ceasefire violations by Pakistan since the 1971 Indo-Pak war till September 2014.

The life of border residents has changed completely in the past three years as Pakistan has directly targeted civilian areas up to seven kilometre from the border in Arnia since then. India shares 198-km International Border with Pakistan in the Jammu region that runs from Paharpur on the Kathua-Punjab border to the Chicken’s Neck area of Akhnoor.

“Local people have now stopped bursting crackers in the marriages. Even when a ‘baraat’ comes to the village, and people burst crackers, villagers many times run for safety inside their houses. We are quite uncertain about border skirmishes as anything can happen anytime,” said Darshan Lal, a village resident. Darshan Lal, who runs a sweetmeat shop in Arnia town, had received splinter injuries on January 29, 2015, when a shell exploded outside his shop.

He underwent three surgeries and spent lakhs of rupees on his treatment but got only Rs 5,000 cash assistance from the government. “I fell unconscious and remained in hospital for 22 days. The incident completely shattered my life as I can’t walk smoothly now. One of my legs was broken and a plate was inserted in it.

I was the only breadwinner of the family but now I find it difficult to make both ends meet,” he said while regretting that the government had offered no help to him. Another victim, Tilak Raj, a septuagenarian, has been rendered bedridden after a shell exploded in the verandah of his “kutcha” house in October 2014. He sustained grievous injuries and his right leg had to be amputated.

“I used to earn livelihood for my family through farming, but now I am now dependent on others.” “I submitted photostat copies of medical documents to officers concerned a number of times but all in vain. I got a meagre compensation of Rs 5,000 from the administration. Politicians do come to the village but only for photo-ops.

The only achievement of the Modi government is that it has increased the number of physically challenged persons in border areas due to Pakistani shelling manifold and it cares least about their livelihood,” said Tilak Raj.

A BSF source said Pakistan has violated the truce between the two countries 107 times this year so far while there were 221 violations along the International Border in 2016.

The number was 253 in 2015 but in 2014 there had been a spurt in ceasefire violations with 430 such incidents. A total of 457 villages with a population of 4,51,856 are located along the International Border and the Line of Control in Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Poonch and Rajouri districts in the Jammu region.
Schooling badly hit

Border skirmishes have left a deep impact on the schoolgoing children because schools have become a target of Pakistani mortar shells.

All government schools remained closed in Arnia from September 15 to October 3 this year but its impact was witnessed for almost one and a half months as children did not return to the schools due to the fear of shelling.

“We are worried about the future of the children. Any skirmish along the border puts brakes on the normal classwork. There is no dearth of talent but children need peace,” said a teacher at Government High School, Arnia.
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Block a road of Jammu Development Authority in Jammu on Monday. PTI
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http://www.deccanherald.com/content/646589/jk-cops-reach-families-local.html

Zulfikar Majid, Srinagar, DH News Service, Dec 6 2017, 12:13 IST
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Majid Khan, a footballer who had joined Lashkar-e-Toiba, recently surrendered before the police at Awantipora in South Kashmir. PTI FILE

Encouraged by the results of the new surrender policy, the Jammu & Kashmir Police have begun to reach out to the families of local youth who have joined militancy to motivate them to return to the mainstream.

Under the initiative, Deputy Inspector General (South Kashmir) Swyam Prakesh Pani and Superintendent of Police, Shopian, Sriram Ambarkar have met families of more than 20 local militants, a police spokesperson said.

During the interaction, the officers assured the families that the doors to surrender are open for their sons and care will be taken for their rehabilitation.

"The DIG talked to every family separately and listened to them patiently. Some of the family members turned extremely emotional and burst into tears," the spokesperson said.

A relentless campaign on social media and "religious indoctrination" have of late lured dozens of school dropouts and college students into militancy in Kashmir.

There are nearly 150 local militants active in the Valley while 85 have been killed so far this year.

To counter this, the police have launched a vigorous counselling campaign to discourage youth from joining militancy.

There have been some positive results so far.

The arrest of six local militants after two encounters and the surrender of 20-year-old footballer Majid Khan, who had joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba but returned within a week, is seen as part of the police's initiative.


Since Majid returned, nearly 10 families have asked their sons to come back through videos circulated widely on social media.


But despite the initial success, the decision is fraught with perils.

According to figures compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal, 3,195 militants surrendered between 1990 and 2001.

However, a good percentage among them were either killed by the militants later, were forced to return to militancy or were used by security forces for counter-insurgency, including in the notorious militia called Ikhwan, held responsible for several excesses.

This year's "Operation All Out" saw the highest number of militants being killed in the Valley in the last seven years.

According to official figures, more than 200 militants have been killed this year, including 85 local youth.

While the encounters continue, there seems to be a new emphasis on pulling the youth out of militancy.

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...ims-in-no-man-s-land-await-relief/508657.html

Posted at: Dec 6, 2017, 12:37 AM; last updated: Dec 6, 2017, 12:37 AM (IST)BORDER: LIVING ON THE EDGE

Mine victims in ‘no man’s land’await relief
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Landmine blast victim Fayaz Ahmad. Tribune photos: Amin War
2017_12$largeimg05_Tuesday_2017_231106957gallery.jpg



Ishfaq Tantry

Tribune News Service

Danna (Zero Line), Uri, Dec 5 “The gate at the fence places our village in no man’s land. Beyond it lies freedom and a different world altogether,” says Fayaz Ahmad Dar (42) of Sahoora, a village situated on a ridge on Zero Line in the strategic Hajipir sector of Uri.


Sahoora village is located 10 km from Uri town and up above in forests on the left side of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road. The Hajipir nullah serves as the only geographical barrier that separates the hamlet from Azad Kashmir. Just like Hathlanga, Sallikote, Tullawari and Churunda villages of Uri, which are located on Zero Line, Sahoora has been completely left out beyond the barbed fence demarcating the LoC.

The overlooking Pakistani posts, falling in the Sajiwad area of Azad Kashmir atop a mountain ridge across the Hajipir nullah, serve as a constant reminder to the villagers of the lurking danger. Before the 2003 ceasefire agreement, these Pakistani posts that also overlook the strategic Rustum post on this side had engaged in heavy mortar shelling on villages in Uri.

“I was washing utensils outside my house one day when I heard a loud bang. I rushed to the basement, thinking Pakistan had started shelling,” says Zahida, a resident of Dhana village, while pointing towards Pakistani posts visible from the spot. Zahida lost her mother-in-law and father-in-law to shelling by Pakistan in June 2000.

Between the two tiers of the fence crossing these villages, swathes of agriculture and horticulture land have been mined by the security forces to prevent infiltration, which has picked up in the Uri region the 2016 Uri attack. This year, five infiltration bids have been foiled by the Army in the Uri sector.

“The gate opens at 6 am and closes in the evening. If we want to move out to the market in Uri, we have first to seek permission from the sentry,” says Fayaz, who lost his leg in a mine blast in February 2006. One of the fence lines bisects his compound too. His mother and aunt were also injured in a mine blast, but like majority of such victims, no compensation has been paid to them.

“I lost my father, mother and brother to shelling by Pakistan in June 2000. I was also injured and doctors had to amputate my left leg. It’s been 17 years but I have not been compensated so far,” rues Nasreen, 23, of Danna village in the Hajipir sector.

Of the 150 persons living in Sahoora, six have been disabled in mine blasts. In the neighbouring Dulanga village, there are over 10 such victims.

A majority of children are school dropouts. Villagers whose agriculture land has come under the fence complain that despite surveys and assurances by the officials and politicians, no compensation has been paid to them.

A police officer says recently, a man from Uri crossed over to Pakistan. He said police and other security agencies maintain a record of Sahoora, Silikote, Hathlunga and Tullawari and every movement in these villages is closely monitored.

Migration in 1990s

Like other 40 villages in Uri tehsil, Sahoora was once a bustling village, where majority of people engaged in farming and took care of their walnut orchards. But as the militancy erupted in the Kashmir valley and hostilities between India and Pakistan broke out on borders in the early 1990s, almost everyone from the village migrated to Pakistan. As per the police records, 200 families of Sahoora village crossed over to the other side in the Bagh district of Azad Kashmir, leaving just 13 families behind. As per the 2011 Census, Sahoora today comprises 21 families.


This side of the fence
Village Population Literacy rate (in %)
Male Female
Sahoora 150 74.47 51.35
Salli Kote 194 91.25 80.43
Hathlanga 539 66.52 42.97
Churunda 1,169 62.7 25 Tullawari 476 80.84 55.21
 
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http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...ased-police/story-tEhmi9rbU7J6dNF8oMgm9J.html

The police are trying to find out why he was taken and then released.
india Updated: Dec 07, 2017 17:00 IST
Hindustan Times, Srinagar
jammu-and-kashmir-militant-bsnl-sopore_bc69ec5a-db41-11e7-8585-db66518b106f.jpg

More than 1,500 police personnel have been killed in the valley since insurgency broke out in 1989.(PTI File Photo)
The brother of a policeman, who was allegedly abducted by militants in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district, returned home after a few hours on Wednesday night, police said on Thursday.

A senior district police officer told the Hindustan Times that Mudasir Ahmed, the brother of constable Farooq Ahmed, came back a few hours after reports said that he was abducted from his home by militants in Ajas village of the district.

The police are trying to find out why he was taken and then released. “Our team is onto the case. We are investigating the exact circumstances,” the police officer said.

Reports said that the militants could have been looking for Khan but snatched his brother instead.

Several policemen have been killed or attacked and their homes ransacked by suspected militants in recent months, seen as warnings to local police personnel to stop participating in counter-insurgency operations.

More than 1,500 police personnel have been killed in the valley since insurgency broke out in 1989. In June, a deputy superintendent of police – Mohammed Ayub Pandith – was lynched by a mob outside Srinagar’s main mosque.
 
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Posted at: Dec 8, 2017, 1:04 AM; last updated: Dec 8, 2017, 1:04 AM (IST)
Disabled drug peddler among 3 held in Kupwara
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...g-peddler-among-3-held-in-kupwara/509736.html

Amin Masoodi

Kupwara, December 7

A notorious drug peddler was nabbed in Kupwara district a day ago along with his two accomplices, the police said today. The police said the drug peddler was doing the illicit trade by taking undue advantage of his disability and under the garb of collecting donations for a local shrine.

Disabled in one limb, Abdul Rashid Mir, 34, of Khumriyal village lured youth into the illicit trade and was a wanted drug peddler, the police said. Along with Shabir Ahmad Mir, a resident of Dardpora, and Waqar Ahmad Zargar, a resident of Tikker village, Rashid Mir was nabbed by a police team following specific inputs about the delivery of a drug consignment by the trio.

“The notorious drug peddler took undue advantage of his disability and roped in more youths into the illicit trade. At times, he would collect donations for a shrine at a roadside in his village to give an impression that he was a social worker and to escape the police net,” said Shamsher Hussain, Kupwara Superintendent of Police (SP).

“The arrest of the trio is a major breakthrough in curbing the drug menace and may lead to a few more arrests in the coming days. The police is committed to eradicating the menace from society which is one of the commandments of the law enforcing agency in the current year,” the Kupwara SP said.

Around 4 kg of charas was recovered from the trio and the vehicle used for transportation of drugs was also seized. The trio had hidden the charas in the brake lights of the vehicle and were on their way to deliver the consignment when they were apprehended, police sources said.

In its crackdown against the drug menace in Kupwara, the police have this year nabbed 52 drug peddlers and recovered 29 kg of charas, 2 kg of heroin and 4.5 kg of brown sugar from them.
 
http://www.deccanherald.com/content/647048/soldier-injured-pak-firing-loc.html

DH News Services, Srinagar,

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The Indian Army retaliated effectively, he said. In Rajouri district, Pakistan Army opened fire and shelled areas in Kalal, Laam and Jangarh sub-sectors of Nowshera sector. PTI File photo

An Army soldier was injured as Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing on border out posts (BoPs) along the Line of Control in Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

An army official said that the trooper was injured when Pakistani troops resorted to indiscriminate firing of small arms, automatics and mortars in Digwar and Gulpur sub-sectors of Poonch district on Thursday night.

The Indian Army retaliated effectively, he said. In Rajouri district, Pakistan Army opened fire and shelled areas in Kalal, Laam and Jangarh sub-sectors of Nowshera sector.

During the past few days, Pakistan army has resumed ceasefire violation along the LoC in Nowshera and Sunderbani sectors of Rajouri district, Khari Karmara, Degwar and parts of Krishna Ghati in Poonch district, prompting the Indian side to retaliate.

Sources said that Pakistan army was trying to push militants into the Indian side under the cover of shelling and firing as a number of militants have been camping at launching pads on the other side of the LoC.

"Pakistan has been relentlessly trying to push heavily-armed militants into India with nefarious intention of disturbing peace and cause casualties on security forces in the hinterland. However, well aware of the new strategy of Pakistan, Indian troops have strengthened anti-infiltration grid,” they added.
 
The director general of police (DGP) also sought the cooperation of people, including parents of drug addicts, to root out the menace, terming it as a "very serious issue".

By: PTI | Jammu | Published: December 9, 2017 4:39 pm


December 9, 2017 4:39 pm
sp-vaid-express.jpg

S P Vaid said more efforts were needed to wipe out the menace from the state. (Source: Express Photo By Shuaib Masoodi)

Jammu and Kashmir is facing narco-terrorism and a majority of drugs being smuggled into the state are from across the Line of Control (LoC), DGP S P Vaid said on Saturday.

The director general of police (DGP) also sought the cooperation of people, including parents of drug addicts, to root out the menace, terming it as a “very serious issue”.

“We are faced with narco-terrorism. There are some elements who do not want our future generations to be physically and mentally healthy. They want to destroy the lives of our youth and make them their slaves,” he told reporters at a police de-addiction centre here.

The DGP claimed that only 20 to 25 per cent of the drugs being smuggled into the state are from Punjab, while the rest are being pumped from across the Line of Control (LoC) and the international border.

“I feel some agencies with ill-intentions towards Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, are involved in it. They are doing it (drug trafficking) to fund terrorism. They want our future generations to be addicted to drugs so that they can succeed in their nefarious designs,” he said.

“It is a very serious issue… This year we had record seizure of drugs worth Rs 500 crore in the international market. In Kashmir, we seized 70 kg of pure quality heroin, while over 25 kg of the contraband was seized from Jammu,” the state’s police chief said.

He said more efforts were needed to wipe out the menace from the state.

“The police, as part of its efforts, is doing its best to fight the menace. I believe it is a small effort and more needs to be done. We need the support of families and the civil society,” he said.

Demanding stern punishment for drug peddlers, Vaid said judges should ignore minor technical shortcomings in investigations.

The DGP also urged lawyers not to defend peddlers, if they were “convinced from the heart” that the person was involved in the crime.

“I am giving this example because if you do not cooperate, we cannot root out this menace. We have to remain cautious. Let us come together to fight this out,” he said, calling for coordinated efforts.

The DGP said that the government has provided land to the police near Eidgah in Srinagar for a full-fledged drug de-addiction centre.

“I had requested the government to provide land here as well. We also plan to send a proposal to the Ministry of Home Affairs for a full-fledged drug de-addiction centre here,” Vaid said.

He said the government was mulling to set up 10-bedded de-addiction centre in every district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The DGP also said that incidents of stone-pelting during anti-terrorist operations have reduced in Kashmir and security forces were not facing “much trouble now”.
 
http://indianexpress.com/article/india/nia-arrests-pulwama-youth-with-let-links-4975913/

“NIA has arrested Tauseef Ahmed Malik, 25 years, son of Abdul Rashid Malik r/o Chandgam Pulwama today in case RC-20/2017/NIA/DLI related to the activists of LeT in India. The arrest has been done with the assistance of J&K Police,” an NIA statement said.

By: Express News Service | New Delhi | Published: December 10, 2017 4:52 am

NIA on Saturday arrested a 25-year-old from Pulwama in Kashmir in connection with its case against an alleged LeT man who was arrested by the agency recently for carrying out reconnaissance of vital installations.

“NIA has arrested Tauseef Ahmed Malik, 25 years, son of Abdul Rashid Malik r/o Chandgam Pulwama today in case RC-20/2017/NIA/DLI related to the activists of LeT in India. The arrest has been done with the assistance of J&K Police,” an NIA statement said. NIA recently arrested Aurangabad resident Nayeem Mohammed who is also an accused in the 2006 Aurangabad Arms haul case.

“The role of Tauseef about his association with LeT had surfaced during the interrogation of the accused Nayeem. He has been in touch with LeT terrorists operating in Pulwama. He has also remained in contact with Nayeem since March 2017 when Nayeem had visited Pulwama and stayed with LeT terrorists for 3 months,” NIA statement said.

The accused will be brought to Delhi and produced before the NIA Special Court.
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mortar-shell-fired-at-loc_e98cdec6-ddc2-11e7-8585-db66518b106f.jpg

Army officer injured as Pak forces violate ceasefire along LoC in J-K’s Rajouri

Reports said the officer was hit by a sniper fire.
india Updated: Dec 10, 2017 21:30 IST

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...k-s-rajouri/story-R9a6YmDTLcKvwHY0qf1phI.html


A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was injured when the Pakistani forces violated ceasefire by firing at Indian posts along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army official said on Sunday.

Pak troops fired at forward posts along the LoC in Bhawani belt of Noushera sector in Rajouri last evening, an Army officer said.

In the firing, one JCO - a subedar was injured, he said. The JCO was hospitalised and is reported to be stable, he added. Reports said he was hit by a sniper fire.

Earlier, on the night of December 7, an Army jawan was injured when Pakistan Army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms, automatics and mortars along the LoC in Poonch sector’s Digwar area.

Indian Army retaliated strongly and effectively, officials said.

On December 8 also, Pak army resorted to firing and shelling in Kalal, Laam and Jangarh sub-sectors of Noushera sector in Rajouri district.

According to Union Home Ministry data, Pakistani forces have violated ceasefire 724 times along the international border and the LoC till October this year in comparison to 449 times in 2016.

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...on-route-major-challenge-for-army/510751.html
2017_12$largeimg09_Saturday_2017_231647971.jpg

Amir Karim Tantray
Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 9


The Army has been taken by surprise in the Gurez sector of north Kashmir as militants have chosen to wade through the Kishanganga to infiltrate into Kashmir instead of coming through mountainous passes along the Line of Control. The river is narrow and its water-level is about one and a half feet, making it easy for 100-odd militants to tread undetected even when soldiers’ binoculars and guns remain fixed on the mountains.

In the past six months, militants have used a clever strategy and infiltrated through the river. The Army, however, came to know when more than 100 militants, most of them from the Lashkar-e-Toiba, had already made it to this side.

The Kishanganga, known as Neelum in Pakistan, forms a natural border between the Indian and Pakistan parts of Kashmir. The Gurez sector remained immune from infiltration for most part of militancy in Kashmir until militants, in hordes, chose the route to infiltrate a few years ago. The river route of infiltration has become a new headache for the Army.

Though it has set up bunkers and other vigil points along the river, the step has come too late as more than 100 heavily armed and well-trained militants have already made to this side of the LoC. “It is a serious challenge for us,” said a senior Army officer on condition of anonymity.

Of the 100 terrorists, the Army has been able to neutralise about 25 and 15 have been arrested, according to sources. The rest 60 are still active in various parts of the Valley, sources said.

Maintaining vigil on the river is more challenging and once they are in, it is difficult to neutralise them as they mingle with locals, sources said.

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Photo for representation only.
Jammu, December 10
http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...ives-new-lease-of-life-to-addicts/511108.html

Offering a ray of hope to drug addicted youth, the police drug de-addiction and rehabilitation centre here has helped cure 94 per cent of the nearly 7,000 persons since it started operations four years ago.

The centre, initially with staff strength of six, was set up as a counselling centre in April 2013 to help drug addicts overcome the problem and has now turned into a full- fledged round-the-clock 20 bedded hospital.

Dozens of youth and their family members were present at the centre on Saturday as part of an interaction programme with Director General of state Police S P Vaid, who advised them to remain steadfast in their resolve to give up drugs for their own good and the society.

Funded by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs under civil action programme, the centre has attended to 6,976 patient in outpatient department till date, of whom 279 including 38 police personnel availed indoor facility which was started in December last year, in-charge of the Centre Gurmeet Kour told PTI.

The doctor, a de-addiction expert, said 219 of the indoor patients were addicted to poly drug abuse like heroin, while 59 were alcoholics.

She said 56 patients left against medical advice and 17 others discharged on request but only 12 cases of relapse were reported since December last year. "The recovery rate of the centre is 94 per cent, which is a big achievement.It is the direct result of coordinated efforts and the support of police department,” Kour, who is heading a 19-member staff including yoga and meditation experts, said.

Superintendent of Police, headquarters, R C Kotwal said there are four types of drug abusers in Jammu and its peripheries with heroin users marking a steady increase over the past couple of years which is "most dangerous".

The first category is of those who are using prescribed drugs like capsules, tablets, injections and cough syrups and mostly transporters are involved in it, he said adding charas and ganja, which is smuggled from Chattisgarh, Odisha and parts of south Kashmir, are the most common.

"Police have recorded a remarkable achievement in their drive against drug peddlers and seized the biggest haul of heroin this year, worth crores of rupees in the international market. "The seizures and arrest are encouraging for the police, but the increased smuggling of heroin is also a warning sign for the days to come,” Kotwal said.

He said one gram of heroin, locally called "chitta", is costlier than gold. It is valued between Rs 4000 and Rs 6000 per gram. A 26-year-old youth, who is running a shop in the city, said he fell in the trap of drug traffickers two years back and became addicted to heroin. "I suffered huge losses....Two years back I decided to quit it and visited the drug de-addiction centre where I recovered fully," the businessman said.

He said he is getting married in February next year and looking forward to live a normal life. “Initially, the craving for heroin was high...Now I am normal,” he said, adding he had made a mistake in the past and would never repeat it again. A woman, who has been accompanying her son to the centre, said, “I am very thankful to the doctors who saved the life of my only son".

Kour said a large chunk of population was suffering from drug addiction making it a very serious issue. “Parents need to keep a close watch on their wards to ensure that they do not fell prey to the menace which is growing alarmingly,” she said and asked the victims to come forward, assuring all possible help at the drug de-addiction centre.

The doctor said she along with her team is visiting different districts, educational institutions and public gatherings including religious places as part of an awareness campaign. She said most people do not come forward because of shame and despair and stay aloof.

"It is just a disease and after appropriate treatment, a drug addict is bound to recover fully,” Kour said. After running OPD and day care successfully, she said a dire need for indoor facility was felt and last year on December 26, the first patient - a policeman - with severe alcohol addiction was admitted in the hospital setting the trend for inpatient treatment at the facility.

He was kept in the hospital along with his wife and gradually he recovered, she said. The doctor said addicts should not to be discriminated against but embraced, treated and rehabilitated.

Lauding the centre for its outstanding work, the police chief said the department was planning to open a de-addiction centers in all districts of state so that drug de-addiction services are easily available and accessible to people particularly those living in far off places. Thanking the government for providing land for drug de- addiction center at Srinagar, Vaid appealed it to provide land in Jammu and in districts to enhance the capacity to fight the menace in the state.

While interacting with patients, the DGP advised them to take full use of facilities provided at the centre. — PTI.

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http://zeenews.india.com/india/terr...-jk-grenades-found-in-possession-2064457.html

Srinagar: A terrorist sympathiser has been arrested and some grenades have been recovered from his possession in central Kashmir's Budgam district, police said on Saturday.

The 24-year-old over-ground worker, Mohammad Younis Sheikh, a resident of Chill Brass village of Khansahib area of the district, was apprehended near Keli Kadal area of Chadoora on Friday, a police official said.

He said four UBGL grenades were recovered from Sheikh's possession.

A case has been registered in the matter, the official said.
 
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ARMYJAWANS

Army personnel carry rocket launchers during an encounter with the militants in Handwara. File | Photo Credit: PTI

Srinagar , December 11, 2017 10:27 IST
Updated: December 11, 2017 15:31 IST

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...led-in-handwara-encounter/article21389423.ece

The operation on the Sopore-Kupwara highway began around 12:30 am following "specific information about presence of some militants".

Three militants were killed by security forces in an operation in north Kashmir's Baramulla on Monday morning. A woman, identified as Misra Bano, also died near the operation site.

"Three Pakistani militants have been neutralised by a joint team of forces in Unsoo, Handwara," said Director General of Police, Kashmir, S.P. Vaid.

The operation on the Sopore-Kupwara highway began around 12:30 am following "specific information about presence of some militants".

The bodies are being identified. A number of rifles were also recovered.

DIG, North Kashmir, V K Birdi, said the woman was killed in the "cross-fire after she tried to escape from the house where the militants were trapped".

Internet services have been stopped in parts of Sopore and Kupwara as a precautionary measure.

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Srinagar, December 11, 2017 16:38 IST
Updated: December 11, 2017 16:38 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...-killed-in-shopian-firing/article21390946.ece

Two bank guards were killed as suspected militants attacked a van carrying cash in Shopian on Monday.

Preliminary reports suggest a number of gunmen opened fire on the bank van at Poju Keller on Monday afternoon.

"Two guards were injured in the firing. They succumbed to their injuries in the hospital," said a police official.

The bank official could not confirm immediately if any cash was looted by the gunmen.
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http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...oney-looted/story-QyOPKqM2QqKQW1LiUziymI.html

Police said the militants were unable to loot any money because the van, belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, was returning empty after disbursing it among local branches.
Updated: Dec 11, 2017 21:38 IST
Hindustan Times, Srinagar
army-soldier_7515a2d4-de63-11e7-814a-000c05070a4c.jpg

A soldier takes position during a recent encounter between militants and security forces in north Kashmir's Sopore town. (PTI File)


Two bank guards were killed in an alleged militant attack on a cash van in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Monday.

Police said the militants were unable to loot any money because the van, belonging to the Jammu and Kashmir Bank, was returning empty after disbursing it among local branches in Keller area. “Militants intercepted a van and killed two bank guards, but they could not loot any cash,” confirmed deputy inspector general of police (South Kashmir) SP Pani.

Police said the van driver is out of danger, and a hunt has been launched for the alleged militants.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed her grief over the death of the two guards, and tweeted that the future can be made “safe and peaceful” only if everybody worked together.

The opposition National Conference also “strongly” condemned the incident. A statement jointly released by party president Farooq Abdullah and his son, working president Omar Abdullah, termed the killing of the two bank guards as “an act of barbarism and cowardice”.

A similar incident had occurred in May, when militants killed five policemen and two bank guards during an attack on a cash van at Phambai in Kulgam district. The Hizbul Mujahideen, which claimed responsibility for the incident, had to “clarify” its position after it evoked widespread condemnation across the Valley.

“We didn’t attack the vehicle with an intent to loot cash. We have enough money. We condemn the killing of the bank employees, and want to clarify that they were shot dead by security personnel,” Burhanuddin, spokesperson of the militant group, said.

Nobody has claimed responsibility for Monday’s attack so far.

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/news/ja...rds-killed-in-j-k-militant-attack/511672.html
Posted at: Dec 11, 2017, 9:43 PM;
last updated: Dec 11, 2017, 9:43 PM (IST)

2017_12$largeimg11_Monday_2017_214451647.jpg

A bank vehicle damaged in firing in Shopian on Monday. — Tribune photo
Srinagar, December 11

Two bank guards were on Monday killed when militants opened fire on their vehicle in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Security forces have launched a search operation to track down the assailants. A police official said, "Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a vehicle of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in the Keller area of Shopian this afternoon, resulting in injuries to two security guards."

The two guards, identified as Tariq Ahmad of Pulwama and Mushtaq Ahmad of Anantnag, succumbed to their injuries at a hospital, police said. — PTI
 
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