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The Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Pratik Sharma visited Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Saturday to review the counter-terrorism grid and commended the troops for their unwavering resolve in the ongoing anti-terror operation. A firefight is underway to neutralise a group of three holed-up Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists in the district. The visit of the Army commander to the mountainous district comes after a high-level security review of the evolving security dynamics in the Jammu region, with a focus on strengthening the counter-terrorism grid on Thursday, officials said. "Lt Gen Pratik Sharma, Army Commander, Northern Command, visited Kishtwar today to review the counter-terrorism grid and operational preparedness," Northern Command Headquarters said on X. The Army commander, while interacting with ground commanders and troops, commended them for their unwavering resolve in the ongoing efforts. On Thursday, the Northern Army commander chaired a high-level security meeting
Security forces on Friday intensified their ongoing anti-terror operation in the snowbound Chatroo belt to track down and neutralise a group of three holed up Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. They said mobile internet services remained temporarily suspended within a radius of six km covering Singhpora, Chingam and Chatroo to avoid its misuse by anti-national elements during the ongoing operation. The operation in the area was launched on January 18, leading to a fierce gunbattle in Sonnar forest near Mandral-Singhpora resulting in the killing of a paratrooper and injuries to seven soldiers. Although the terrorists managed to escape taking advantage of thick vegetation and the challenging terrain, the security forces continued their hunt for the terrorists despite more than two feet of snowfall. Two more encounters took place between the army and the terrorists at Mali Dana top on January 22 and Janseer-Kandiwar on January 25 but
All flights to and from Srinagar International Airport were cancelled on Tuesday due to snowfall in Kashmir, officials said. "Due to adverse weather conditions and continuous snowfall in Srinagar, the runway is currently not available for safe aircraft operations. In the interest of passenger safety, all flight operations to and from Srinagar have been cancelled for the day," an Airport Authority of India official said here. He said the airlines and airport authorities are closely monitoring the weather situation, and the flight operations will resume as soon as the weather conditions improve to a level where the runway is declared safe for operations. As many as 58 flights -- 29 inbound and 29 outbound -- have been cancelled due to the ongoing snowfall. "Passengers have been advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates and alternate arrangements," the official said. The cancellation of flights has left hundreds of tourists, who were scheduled to
Several flights to and from Srinagar International Airport were cancelled on Tuesday due to snowfall in Kashmir, officials said. "In view of adverse weather conditions and continuing snowfall at Srinagar Airport, airlines have cancelled certain flights for today," an official of the Airport Authority of India said. As many as 16 flights -- eight inbound and eight outbound -- have been cancelled so far. "Passengers have been advised to stay in touch with their respective airlines for the latest updates and alternate arrangements," the official said. The cancellation of flights has left hundreds of tourists, who were scheduled to return after spending the weekend and Republic Day holiday in the Valley, stranded in Kashmir.
Jammu Security forces and the Indian Army on Friday gunned down a Jaish-e-Mohammed commander-level terrorist after a high-stakes operation in Parhetar village in Kathua district. The operation and searches had been underway for more than a week.Providing details on the operation, SSP Kathua Mohita Sharma said, "The Joint operation of J & K Police, Indian Army and CRPF was started, today the situation was a hostage situation, but our brave police jawans rescued the civilians, and fierce gunbattle took place."The Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist of Pakistan was identified as Usman. He was active from 2024, and six terror acts were registered against him, including the killing of civilians and security forces. Three of his hideouts have been busted so far, along with the natural caves he used, and one was a man-made hideout.Describing the joint operation by J & K Police and the Indian army, SSP Mohita Sharma said, "After the encounter, when he escaped, our search operation continued in
The air traffic to and fro Kashmir was suspended on Friday after flight operations were cancelled at the Srinagar airport due to bad weather, officials said. "In view of continuous snowfall, accumulation of snow on operational areas, and the prevailing forecast of adverse weather en route, all flight operations at Srinagar airport stand cancelled for the day in the interest of passenger safety," officials at the airport said. They said the passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for updates and re-accommodation. Most parts of Kashmir received fresh snowfall overnight, including the season's first snowfall in Srinagar. The meteorological department has forecast the current weather system to continue till Friday evening.
Four Army personnel were killed and nine others injured when their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, officials said. The accident took place at Khanni top along Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate road. Officials said the bullet-proof Army vehicle, carrying a total of 17 personnel, was heading towards a high altitude post when its driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into a 200-foot-deep gorge. A joint rescue operation by army and police was immediately launched and four of the soldiers were found dead, the officials said. They said nine other soldiers were rescued in an injured condition and three of them, who have suffered critical injuries, were airlifted to Udhampur military hospital for specialised treatment.
The Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations has said it cannot conduct fresh counselling for MBBS admissions and allocation of supernumerary seats to those who were earlier given seats at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence be made at the government level. The clarification by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) came in a letter to the Union territory's health and medical education department, which sought its intervention in the relocation of 50 MBBS students of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence (SMVDIME). Earlier this month, the National Medical Commission's Medical Assessment and Rating Board withdrew the letter of permission granted to SMVDIME for non-compliance with minimum standards. It had said that those admitted to the college during the counselling shall be accommodated in other institutions in Jammu and Kashmir as supernumerary seats. Sangharsh Samiti, a recently ..
Jammu & Kashmir Bank on Tuesday reported a 11 per cent growth in net profit at Rs 589 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2025. The bank had a net profit of Rs 531 crore in the October-December period of last fiscal. Total income rose to Rs 3,593 crore during Q3 of FY26, from Rs 3,448 crore in the corresponding quarter of FY25, J&K Bank said in a regulatory filing. The bank's gross non-performing assets (NPA) stood at 3 per cent of gross loans in the December quarter of FY26, compared to 4.08 per cent in the year-ago period. Shares of Jammu & Kashmir Bank closed at Rs 98.90, down 3.75 per cent over previous close on BSE.
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said the Supreme Court missed a crucial chance to examine federalism in its "extreme form" in the Article 370 case after accepting the government's assurance on restoration of Jammu and Kashmir's full statehood. Speaking at the launch of two books by journalist-writer Bashir Assad, "Kashmir: The Unfiltered Truth" and "House Without Witness", on Monday, Khurshid argued that while the Constitution speaks of fraternity, equality and liberty, federalism has not always received the attention it deserves in judicial interpretation. "Federalism is something we perhaps lost out on when there was a chance for the SC to take up what was a true test case of federalism... There was a crucial moment when an Article 370 matter came before the SC to examine federalism in its extreme form. "However, on the government's assurance, conveyed by the Attorney General, that Jammu and Kashmir's full statehood would be restored swiftly, the court felt that it need not
After a night-long halt, security forces resumed their search operation on Monday to track down terrorists believed to be hiding in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said. The operation was launched in Sonnar village near Mandral-Singhpora in the Chatroo belt on Sunday, leading to a gunfight that left eight soldiers injured, primarily due to splinter injuries caused by a sudden grenade attack from the hiding terrorists. The operation was suspended late Sunday night in the challenging terrain marked by thick vegetation and steep slopes, limiting visibility and movement, officials said. Multiple teams of the army, police, and paramilitary forces, supported by drones and sniffer dogs, are combing the area while maintaining a tight security cordon to ensure that the terrorists are not able to escape, the officials said. A group of two to three terrorists allegedly affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) are believed to be trapped in
Lieutenant Governors or administrators of five Union territories will now have the power to authorise officers to search any premises or seize any record related to misleading advertisements claiming magical properties and remedies for the treatment of certain diseases like cancer and diabetes. In an order notified in the gazette recently by the Home Ministry, the government has delegated the powers to LGs or administrators of the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, Lakshadweep, Chandigarh, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu and Puducherry. "...the President hereby directs that the administrator (whether known as LG or administrator) of Union territories of Lakshadweep, Chandigarh and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry and Jammu and Kashmir shall, subject to the control of the President and until further orders, exercise the power and discharge the functions of the state government under the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 (2
The security forces on Thursday morning resumed a search operation to track down terrorists hiding in a forest in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, where one security person suffered a minor injury. The joint action by the Special Operations Group (SOG) of J-K Police and other security forces was launched at Kahog village in Billawar on Wednesday evening, leading to an encounter, officials said. The search operation to track down the hiding terrorists has been resumed after a night-long cordon, a senior security official said. The searches are being conducted in the Dhanu Parole-Kamadh nallah area. Additional forces have been called in, along with aerial surveillance, to pin down the terrorists hiding in the dense forest, they said. Despite darkness, thick vegetation and treacherous terrain, the SOG is relentlessly engaging the terrorists. Teams of the CRPF are also participating in the joint operation, Bhim Sen Tuti, IGP, Jammu Zone, said in a post on X. The gunfight broke out
An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in a remote village in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said. The encounter started at Kahog village of Billawar this evening when security forces launched a search operation following information about presence of two to three terrorists, they said. "SOG Kathua has engaged terrorists in the forest of Kamadh Nullah, Kathua," Inspector General of Police, Jammu, Bhim Sen Tuti said in a post on X. According to sources, at around 4 pm, one terrorist was sighted by locals at Kamad Nallah under the Billawar police stattion area. It could be the same terrorist who was spotted this morning at Dhannu Parole, the sources said. The officials said reinforcements have been rushed to the village to neutralize the terrorists.
After a few days of respite, the cold returned to Kashmir as the minimum temperatures dropped in the valley and settled below the freezing point at most places, officials said on Saturday. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius on Friday night, down from the previous night's 0.1 degrees Celsius, they said. The famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir remained the coldest spot, with the mercury dipping to minus 6.5 degrees Celsius, while the tourist resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius. Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, saw the mercury settling at minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara in north Kashmir registered a minimum of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. The region is currently in the midst of 'Chilla-e-Kalan', the 40-day period of extreme cold, during which night temperatures often drop several degrees below the freezing point. However, curren