Page 12 - Jammu And Kashmir

Over 21,000 pilgrims visit Amarnath shrine on third day of pilgrimage

Over 21,000 pilgrims had darshan of the naturally formed ice Shivling inside the Amarnath shrine on the third day of the annual pilgrimage, officials said. A total of 21,109 pilgrims paid obeisance at the 3,800-metre high holy cave shrine on the Himalayas in south Kashmir on Saturday, they said. The pilgrims included 16,159 males, 3,921 females, 226 children, 250 sadhus, 29 sadhvis, three transgenders and 521 security forces, the officials said. The total number of pilgrims who visited the cave shrine in the first three days of the 38-day yatra has risen to 47,972, they added.

Amarnath Yatra: 6 pilgrims injured in bus collision in J&K's Ramban

At least six Amarnath pilgrims suffered minor injuries in an accident involving three buses in Ramban district on Saturday, officials said. The buses were part of a convoy headed for Pahalgam base camp in south Kashmir from Jammu's Bhagwati Nagar. The accident took place near Chanderkoot, along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, officials said. They said the accident occurred due to failure of the brakes of one of the buses which then hit two other vehicles. The injured were immediately given medical aid. The convoy left for its destination after the damaged buses were replaced, officials said. The fourth batch of 6,979 pilgrims -- 5,196 men, 1,427 women, 24 children, 331 sadhus and sadhvis and one transgender -- left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in two separate convoys between 3.30 am and 4.05 am. While 4,226 pilgrims left in 161 vehicles for Nunwan base camp for the 48-kilometre traditional Pahalgam route, 2,753 pilgrims were headed for the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre B

Amarnath Yatra: 6,900 pilgrims leave Jammu base camp, move towards Kashmir

Braving heavy rain, a fresh batch of over 6,900 pilgrims left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp here on Saturday to pay a visit to the Amarnath shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas, officials said. About 30,000 pilgrims have prayed at the 3,880 metre-high cave shrine since July 3 when the 38-day annual yatra commenced from the twin tracks in Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district. The fourth batch of 6,979 pilgrims -- 5,196 men, 1,427 women, 24 children, 331 sadhus and sadhvis and one transgender -- left the Bhagwati Nagar base camp in two separate convoys between 3.30 am and 4.05 am amid tight security, officials said. While 4,226 pilgrims left in 161 vehicles for Nunwan base camp for the 48-kilometre traditional Pahalgam route, 2,753 pilgrims were headed for the shorter but steeper 14-kilometre Baltal route in 151 vehicles, they said. With the fresh departure, a total of 24,528 pilgrims have left the Jammu base camp for the Valley since Wednesday, when Lieutenant

Travel in designated convoys: Kashmir police advisory for Amarnath pilgrims

The advisory came amid increased focus on security arrangements and preparedness for the annual pilgrimage, which sees thousands of devotees trekking to the Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir

J&K L-G flags off first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of Amarnath pilgrims numbering over 5,880 amid multi-tier security cover, marking the beginning of this year's pilgrimage from here. The 38-day pilgrimage to the 3,880-metre high shrine will commence on July 3 from the Valley via the twin tracks -- the traditional 48-km Nunwan-Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the 14-km shorter but steeper Baltal route in Ganderbal district. A batch of 5,892 pilgrims, including 1,115 women, 31 children and 16 transgenders left the base camp in the first batch at 4.30 am to join the annual Amarnath pilgrimage, officials said. The yatra will conclude on August 9. More than 3.31 lakh devotees have registered so far for this year's Amarnath Yatra, officials said. The L-G performed pooja soon after his arrival at the high-security Bhagwati Nagar base camp and later flagged off the yatra for the twin base camps in Kashmir, officials said. Sinha was flanked

Jaishankar calls Pahalgam attack economic warfare as J&K tourism suffers

Terror attack, cancellations, and tourist hotspots closures cripple Kashmir tourism; industry reels under economic strain and pins hopes on a winter revival amid persistent security concerns

Pak national held in J-K identified as terrorist guide, probe underway

A Pakistani national arrested along the Line of Control (LoC) near Jammu and Kashmir's border districts of Poonch and Rajouri while attempting to infiltrate into India is a terrorist guide, officials said on Monday. Mohammed Arif was leading a group of four Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists into the Indian side when he was overpowered and arrested by alert Army troops on Sunday afternoon. The terrorists with him jumped from a steep cliff and returned to the Pakistani side with injuries, the officials said. Arif, a resident of Datote village in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), was arrested from the forward Hajura post in Gambhir area under the Army's Ace of Spades division, they added. Recapping the events of the day, they said vigilant troops, maintaining an aggressive surveillance posture in the rugged terrain, detected suspicious movement of a group of suspected terrorists attempting to exploit the difficult terrain and dense foliage in order to infiltrate. While Arif, in his late

Offline registration for Amarnath Yatra starts at special centres in Jammu

The Amarnath Yatra is set to commence on July 3, and the registration is underway for devotees who have not yet registered for the Yatra through online mode. A large number of devotees have visited the special centre as registration begins today at the centres set up by the administration.The Yatra will begin on July 3 through the Baltal and Pahalgam routes.A devotee who came to the centre for registration said, "The people are enthusiastic this time. There is no fear (due to the Pahalgam attack). Arrangements are good. The administration is with us."Another devotee added, "You can see the enthusiasm in the people. I have faith in Amarnath. They (terrorists) can do whatever they want; we will not be affected. I want to request all the people to visit J & K so that our army and government can say that we are not affected by their (terrorists) actions."Ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) has rolled out a robust multi-layered security plan along the ..

Jammu police set up checkpoints across city ahead of Amarnath Yatra

Jammu police has set up several checkpoints across the city to bolster security arrangements and carry out daily anti-sabotage checks ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, which is scheduled to start from July 3, officials said. The 38-day annual pilgrimage is scheduled to start from the twin routes -- the traditional 48-km Pahalgam route in Anantnag district and the shorter but steeper 14-km Baltal route in Ganderbal district -- leading to the 3,880-metre-high Amarnath cave shrine. The first batch of pilgrims will leave for Kashmir from the Jammu-based Bhagwati Nagar base camp a day before the start of the yatra. "In view of the upcoming Amarnath Yatra, the Jammu Police has significantly bolstered the security arrangements by establishing joint nakas (checkpoints) at multiple strategic locations across the district," a police spokesperson said. He said the checkpoints have been set up in coordination with paramilitary forces to ensure a seamless and secure pilgrimage experience. The ...

Ketan Kumar Joshi named J&K Bank CFO for 3-year term, replaces Fayaz Ganai

The Jammu and Kashmir Bank on Sunday announced the appointment of Ketan Kumar Joshi as its new chief financial officer for a term of three years. Joshi has replaced Fayaz Ahmad Ganai, a spokesperson of the J&K Bank said. The Bank notified the appointment to the stock exchanges in accordance with SEBI Regulations. "A seasoned professional in banking and finance, Joshi brings over two decades of extensive experience across Indian and international financial institutions," the spokesperson said. Before joining the J&K Bank, Joshi served as CFO at North East Small Finance Bank Ltd. (2019-2024), where he successfully led a number of critical initiatives. He also spearheaded the bank's system migration from FIS (PROFILE) to BSG (TURING), ensuring capital growth aligned with business expansion and regulatory requirements. Joshi has served in Afghanistan with Maiwand Bank, Bakhtar Bank, and Ghazanfar Bank. He also served as senior vice president at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd, ...

Nearly half of bunker funds unspent in J&K despite rising border threats

Only 53.42 per cent of the ₹242.77 crore allocated for building bunkers in J&K has been utilised over five years, even as border shelling and civilian casualties rise

Omar Abdullah vows to make Jammu and Kashmir a premier golf destination

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said his government is committed to make Jammu and Kashmir as one of the premier golf destinations in the country. The chief minister made these remarks during a prize distribution ceremony held here, where the winners and runners-up of the day's golf tournament were felicitated. Earlier this morning, Abdullah joined golfers to tee off the tournament at the Royal Springs Golf Course, which saw participation from eminent golfers from across the country, including former chief minister Farooq Abdullah Welcoming the golfers to Kashmir, the chief minister said that their presence was highly encouraging. He also expressed his gratitude to Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) for organizing the Golf Tournament and tourism stakeholders' interaction in Kashmir. "It is very reassuring for us to see you all here. There is no doubt that your presence goes a long way in reinforcing what we are trying to do, which is essentially

Parag Jain, who led Pakistan desk, appointed as new R&AW chief for 2 years

Parag Jain, a senior IPS officer with decades of R&AW experience and expertise on the Pakistan desk, has been appointed as the new chief of India's external intelligence agency for a two-year term

Search op to trace 3 JeM terrorists in J&K's Basantgarh enters third day

The search operation to track down three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in a forested area of Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur entered its third day on Saturday amid heightened aerial surveillance, officials said. The cordon and search operation is being carried out by a joint team of security forces. A Pakistan-based JeM terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces on Thursday, while three of his associates remain trapped in the forested area of the Basantgarh belt. Amid strengthening of the multi-tier cordon, the search operation, widened by the joint operation group, resumed this morning with the backing of drones and sniffer dogs, they said. The cordon has been further strengthened with additional reinforcements to eliminate the remaining terrorists of the group, the officials added. Inspector General of Police Bhim Sen Tuti said the terrorists are reported to be still within the cordoned off area. He said that out of the four terrorists, one -- the

MEA rejects 'illegal' tribunal's supplemental award on Indus water dispute

India has rejected the supplemental award by a so-called Court of Arbitration on Indus Waters Treaty, calling it 'illegal' and 'void', and denouncing its authority over hydroelectric project disputes

J-K: Chenab river overflows amid heavy rainfall, casualties in Doda

Doda-Kishtwar-Ramban Range Deputy Inspector General, Shridhar Patil, acknowledged the situation and urged people to stay away from rivers and overflowing streams

Search op to track down 3 JeM terrorists underway in J&K's Basantgarh

A search operation by a joint team of security forces is underway to track down three Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorists in a forested area of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said on Friday. A Pakistan-based JeM terrorist was killed in an encounter with security forces on Thursday, and three of his associates remain trapped in the forested area of the Basantgarh belt. Backed by drones and sniffer dogs, the operation resumed afresh this morning, with the cordon further strengthened with additional reinforcements to eliminate the remaining terrorists of the group, they added. The group of four terrorists had been tracked for a year. They were confronted by a joint search party of the Army and police in the remote Bihali area of Basantgarh on Thursday morning, they said. The four terrorists were found hiding near Karoor Nallah and were engaged by the joint search party led by the Army's Para Commandos, resulting in an encounter. One of the ..

J&K Police urge Amarnath pilgrims to travel in convoys for safety

In a small advisory on X, IGP Jammu said: Shri Amarnath Ji yatra pilgrims who wish to start their yatra from Jammu are advised to join only the official convoys for a safe and secure journey

Encounter breaks out between security forces, terrorists in Udhampur

According to the official, the joint operation, launched under the name Operation Bihali, is currently in progress

J-K admin ready to ferry students returning from Iran back home: Official

The Jammu and Kashmir government is fully prepared to help students returning from Iran reach their homes with a fleet of deluxe buses pressed into service to pick them up from their arrival points, an official said on Friday. The responsibility for organising and overseeing the transit has been entrusted to minister Satish Sharma, he said. Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs and Transport Satish Sharma has been entrusted with the task of overseeing the entire transit operation, he said. The J-K administration facilitated the travel of the first batch of students from Iran arriving in India in super deluxe buses, the spokesperson said. The returnees were received at locations in Jammu and Srinagar by the government's transport department, he said. Super deluxe buses of Jammu and Kashmir Road Transport Corporation (JKRTC) have been stationed at the arrival points to receive them, he said. Sharma said, "These students are our pride and future. It's our moral duty