Chaos inside Jamia, scores injured in clashes outside, 30 hit by pellets

At least 50 people, including women worshipers were injured Friday inside and around the historic Jamia Masjid at Nowhatta as hundreds of protestors clashed with police and paramilitary forces that fired the indiscriminate pellet guns and tear smoke shells. The injured also include two senior police officers — SDPO and SHO – and one CRPF constable. The clashes happened soon after Friday congregational prayers, and turned more intense as pellets fired by the government forces landed inside the grand mosque leaving many dripping with blood and staining its floor. Some…

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After Jammu, India, Pak trade fire along Uri sector in Kashmir

After several civilian killings along the International Border in Jammu region, the armies of India and Pakistan traded fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri region of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district Wednesday night. An official said that Pakistan army violated ceasefire around 9:55 pm by resorting to fire from automatic weapons and shelling in Kamalkote area. The shelling continued till 12:30 am, he said. The official said that several army posts were fired at by the Pakistani army. He said that Indian army retaliated to the fire. However,…

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Militants may shift focus to north Kashmir: J&K Police

Even as south Kashmir has become a hotbed of violent confrontation between security forces and local Kashmiri commanders, police and state intelligence are warning of a sharp rise in militant activity in north Kashmir with infiltrators from across the border attempting to gain a foothold in the region. According to experts, senior Jammu and Kashmir police officers and intelligence officers, several incidents in north Kashmir in the past few of months, coupled with fresh intelligence inputs, seem to suggest that the northern region of the Valley could be a major…

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‘Catch them alive and understand their grievances’: Security forces new mantra in Kashmir

In a departure from conventional approach, security forces battling militancy in Jammu and Kashmir have shifted focus on “catching them alive” and motivating them to return to their families. “Our effort is to catch them alive and understand their grievances. After all, a 15 or 16-year-old boy can’t be brainwashed to the extent that he would like to be killed in a gunfight. There has to be a counter-narrative,” a senior official engaged in counter-insurgency operations was quoted as saying by PTI. As per officials, the strategy of police and…

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Hizbul Mujahideen releases photo of service weapons looted from J&K Police in Srinagar

Pakistan-backed terrorist outfit Hizbul Mujahideen has released photos of the three service weapons looted from the Jammu and Kashmir policemen from Srinagar on Thursday evening. According to reports, the terror outfit has released the photos on its Facebook account named ”Hamzah Hizbi”. Two J&K policemen were detained for questioning after they reported to the authority that a group of armed terrorists had attacked their guard post and took away their rifles. The incident took place a guard post of a hotel in the Srinagar city on Thursday evening. The policemen…

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Heavy security across Valley on PM Modi’s arrives

Hurriyat chief Mirwaiz urges him to listen to Kashmiris’ mann ki baat: ‘Resolve Kashmir dispute’ A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to J&K, the state was enveloped in a security blanket as area domination operations were intensified. The visit has kindled hope in the region where levels of violence have increased at a pace never seen in the past decade and the cessation of counter-insurgency operations is being seen as a major peace-making initiative. The announcement of ceasefire in J&K by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh is…

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Awami Ittehad Party will great PM Modi with black flags during Kashmir visit: Er. Rasheed

The Independent legislator from Langate constituency in Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Abdul Rasheed, said today that activists of his outfit would show black flags to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the valley on May 19. “Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) will receive Modi with black flags so as to make the world community realise that India is not serious and sincere in resolving the Kashmir issue and also as a protest against police atrocities in the valley,” Rasheed told reporters. He said his party would salute the prime…

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Centre declares Ramadan ceasefire, LeT rejects, Hurriyat tight-lipped, Mainstream welcomes

The forces will not launch any operations in Jammu and Kashmir during the holy month of Ramadan but they reserve the right to retaliate if attacked, the Home Ministry said today. The announcement came two days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. Officials said the move is not a concession to the extremists but an effort to create an environment free of terror and violence during the holy month and there will be no lowering of guard. Today’s decision has been taken to…

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From years to months, career span of militants shrinking in Kashmir

The career span of terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir has shrunk considerably over the last few years due to a raft of factors including better coordination among security forces, a first-rate intelligence network, and poorly trained terrorists, according to army officers monitoring the situation in the state. From three to four years a few years ago, the career span of terror recruits, many of them recruited by handlers as cannon fodder, has come down to a few months now, these people added on condition of anonymity. There has been a…

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Policeman killed in weapon snatching bid in Budgam

A policeman was killed after cops foiled a weapon snatching bid of militants on the guard post in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Friday. A police spokesman said militants today attempted to force their entry inside a Guard post at Wardwan, Budgam. “Militants appeared outside the Guard Post and held-up policeman Shamim Ahmad, who was unarmed and going to offer Friday prayers at a local mosque.Shamim was asked by militants to lead toward the Guard Post. However, he raised an alarm and the alert cops inside the Guard Post successfully…

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