Kishtwar

J&K: Operation to track down 3 holed-up terrorists underway in Kishtwar

Security forces on Sunday resumed their cordon and search operation in the snowbound area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district to trace and neutralise three Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorists believed to be hiding in the area following a brief gunbattle. Security has been heightened in adjoining areas, with Village Defence Guards (VDGs) put in operational mode for a high degree of vigilance against any terrorist movement in the district. "The search operation has been resumed this morning after a night-long cordon. The operation to track down holed-up terrorists is underway," a senior official said. They said that terrorists are continuously changing their hideouts and are on the run. "Efforts are being made to hunt them down," he said. Security agencies are also keeping a close watch on those helping terrorists with food and shelter. The operation has been continuing for the past several days. The gunfight began when army troops re-established contact with the terrorists in the Do

Army commander reviews counter-terror ops amid firefight in J&K's Kishtwar

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

Anti-terror operation intensified in J-K's Kishtwar, internet suspended

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

Paratrooper succumbs to injuries as search ops continue in J&K's Kishtwar

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

Kishtwar cloudburst: Multi-agency search intensifies to trace 33 missing

The multi-agency search operation to trace 33 missing persons in cloudburst-hit Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir entered the eighth day on Thursday, officials said. The death toll in the natural calamity that struck the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple on August 14 during the yatra stands at 65, including three CISF personnel and one Special Police Officer (SPO) of J-K Police. Over 100 people were injured. "The search operation by multiple agencies has been intensified to trace 33 missing persons. Operations are underway at the most affected sites by separate teams," a senior official told PTI. The focus of the operation has been laid at three locations -- the major impact site near a langar (community kitchen), the area where houses were washed away, and the Bhuat nallah in Gulabgarh-Paddar areas. Joint teams of police, Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), CISF, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil .

Kishtwar cloudburst: Search continues as families look for those missing

A day earlier, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that it might be impossible to find anyone alive in the Kishtwar incident

Kishtwar cloudburst: Death toll climbs to 64 after woman's body recovered

Body of a woman was recovered in this cloudburst-hit village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, taking the death toll to 64, officials said, as the extensive rescue and relief operation entered the sixth day on Tuesday. The decomposed body was sighted downstream and subsequently recovered by the rescuers this morning amid intensified search operation with the improvement in the weather, the officials said. Sniffer dogs also helped recover a lower body part of another victim under the debris of a collapsed house but the officials said it is believed to be that of a person whose body was recovered on the first day of the tragedy. The rescue teams are working at multiple locations, especially the major impact spot near a langar (community kitchen) site, sifting through the rubble using heavy machinery, including earth movers and sniffer dogs. With the recovery of one more body, the death toll in the flash floods triggered by the cloudburst in Chisoti, the last motorable village

Search for missing continues on day 5 in J&K's Kishtwar despite heavy rain

Braving heavy rains and difficult terrain, rescuers pressed on with the large-scale search operation to trace those buried under debris in this cloudburst-hit remote village of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar on the fifth day on Monday, officials said. Donning rain coats, the rescue teams were seen working at multiple locations, especially the major impact spot near a langar (community kitchen) site, despite the downpour, sifting through the rubble using heavy machinery, including earth movers and sniffer dogs. Cloudburst struck Chisoti, the last motorable village en route to the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, killing 61 people, including three CISF personnel and one Special Police Officer, and leaving over 100 others injured. The number of missing people has been reported as around 50 after a fresh revision of the list. The flash-floods triggered by the cloudburst left a trail of destruction, flattening a makeshift market, a langar site for the annual Machail Mata yatra, damaging

Kishtwar cloudburst: 75 victims admitted in GMC Jammu; 1 dead, 4 critical

In the aftermath of a massive cloudburst in Kishtwar district, a total of 75 patients were admitted in the Government Medical College (GMC) Hospital here and one of them succumbed to injuries during treatment, while the condition of four others continues to be "critical". In addition, 11 bodies of the victims and one body part were also brought to the hospital mortuary from the cloudburst-hit Chisoti village and they were subsequently handed over to their next of kin after completion of medical formalities, official data released by the hospital said on Sunday. The cloudburst struck Chisoti, the last motorable village en route the Machail Mata temple, on August 14, leaving 61 persons mostly devotees dead, over 100 injured and 50 others missing. According to the data, the GMC operated 24 of the 75 patients and one of them, Ashok Kumar (35) of Vijaypur area of Samba district, died on August 16. Among the 47 patients still admitted in the hospital, four are in critical condition, th

Will ensure reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods: J&K LG Sinha

Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday took stock of the rescue and relief operations in the cloudburst-hit Kishtwar district and said he will ensure reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods. Sinha directed senior officials to ensure uninterrupted supply of essentials to the affected people. The LG said he will ensure the reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods at Chasoti village in Kishtwar. "Spoke to Senior Officials and took stock of the rescue and relief operations at Chasoti, Kishtwar. I will ensure the reconstruction of homes damaged in flash floods," the LG said in a post on X. Tragedy struck Chasoti -- the last motorable village enroute to the Machail Mata temple -- around 12:25 pm on August 14 that left 60 people dead and over 100 injured. It flattened a makeshift market, a community kitchen site for the pilgrimage, and a security outpost. At least 16 houses and government buildings, three temples, four water mills, a 30-meter-long ..

Ex gratia of ₹2 lakh for J&K flood victims' family, ₹1 lakh for injured

The announcement came after CM Omar Abdullah visited the cloudburst-affected areas of Kishtwar today and met affected families

Rescue ops in J&K's Kishtwar enter day 3; 60 dead, over 100 injured

A coordinated rescue and relief operation continued for the third consecutive day on Saturday in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, where 60 people lost their lives and over 100 others were injured, officials said. Union Minister Jitendra Singh, accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Nalin Prabhat, visited the devastated village late Friday night and reviewed ongoing rescue and relief efforts carried out by the police, army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), civil administration, and local volunteers operating in the high-altitude terrain. So far, 46 bodies have been identified and handed over to their next of kin after completion of legal formalities. Meanwhile, 75 persons have been reported missing by their families, although locals and eyewitnesses claim that hundreds may have been swept away by flash floods and buried under giant boulders, logs, and ...

J-K cloudburst: IAF on standby with 3 helicopters for rescue, relief work

The Indian Air Force is ready to undertake relief and rescue operations in the aftermath of the deadly cloudburst in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, with two Mi-17 helicopters and one Advanced Light Helicopter on standby at Jammu and Udhampur, sources said on Friday. Operations will commence at the "first available operational weather window", a source said. A massive flash flood triggered by the cloudburst struck the remote mountain village of Chisoti on Thursday, killing at least 60 people and injuring more than 100, officials said. Authorities have so far identified 30 of the retrieved bodies, they said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke with J-K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, took stock of the situation, and assured them of all help.

J&K cloudburst: Over 60 dead, 69 missing as rescue ops underway | Updates

Over 60 people have died, 69 are missing, and more than 100 are injured after a cloudburst in J&K's Kishtwar, which destroyed homes, temples, a bridge, and several vehicles

J&K CM briefs PM on Kishtwar cloudburst, says calamity claimed 60 lives

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said he has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a devastating cloudburst in a remote village in Kishtwar district that has claimed 60 lives and injured more than 100. "I just received a call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I briefed him about the situation in Kishtwar and the steps being taken by the administration," Abdullah wrote in a post on X. He said his government and the people hit by the tragic cloudburst are grateful for the prime minister's support and all the assistance provided by the Centre. Earlier, addressing an Independence-Day function at the Bakshi Stadium here, Abdullah said at least 60 people have lost their lives and more than 100 have been injured in the tragic incident that occurred on Thursday. He said it needs to be ascertained if there was any lapse on the administration's part as "we already knew about the weather (forecast)". In his first Independence-Day speech after taking over as the chi

46 dead after cloudburst in J&K's Chositi district, 167 rescued so far

Rescuers pulled out 167 people from under mounds of rubble. Of these, 38 are in serious condition, officials said

Security ops to kill terrorists enters second day in J&K's Kishtwar

Intermittent firing and deafening sounds of explosions rattled a forested area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district as the operation to neutralise terrorists entered the second day on Monday, officials said. The terrorists are believed to be hiding inside a cave on a cliff at Bhagna forest in Dool area, some 25 km from Kishtwar town, the officials said. The search operation in the forest area started early Sunday following intelligence input about the presence of two most wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists -- Riyaz Ahmad and Mudassar Hazari -- who are active in the district for the past eight years and carrying a reward of Rs 10 Lakh each. The hiding terrorists opened fire on the search parties at 6.30 am on Sunday and fled deep into the forest in the face of retaliation, the officials said, adding intermittent exchange of fire was reported two more times during the day. The cordon and search operation was strengthened with the joining of more reinforcements from the army, ...

SIA raids house linked to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch

One jawan lost his life in the line of duty during the ongoing operation, as per Army officials.

Search on in J&K's Kishtwar after encounter with suspected terrorists

Security forces on Thursday launched a cordon and search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district after an exchange of fire with suspected terrorists, officials said. The firefight took place between the security forces and the suspected terrorists during a search operation following a tip-off about their presence in the Shingpora area of Chhatru, they said. "Contact has been established with terrorists during a joint operation with police at Chhatru in Kishtwar this morning," the White Knight Corps said in a post on X. Additional troops have been deployed, and the operation is ongoing to neutralise the terrorists, it added. According to reports, two to three terrorists are hiding in the area.

Protests against killings of two VDGs by terrorists rock J&K's Kishtwar

People took to the streets in various areas of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district to protest against the killings of two Village Defence Guards by terrorists. The protesters demanded "immediate elimination" of the terrorists involved in the killings to restore confidence among the local population. Hundreds gathered in the Drabshalla area of the district, burning tyres and blocking roads. They raised slogans against Pakistan and terrorists, and chanted 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. Protests were also reported in Kuntwara and other areas early this morning, with slogans of 'Pakistan Murdabad' and a sit-in on the road. "This kind of incident has not happened in this area for a long time. The victims were grazing their cattle when terrorists kidnapped and killed them. This is an act of cowardice. We cannot tolerate this. The people stand firmly against terrorism," said Drabshalla resident Kuldeep Singh. The protestors demanded an immediate elimination of the terrorists. "We demand a mass