Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said holding only Pakistan responsible for the recent spike in terror activities in Jammu and Kashmir is not sufficient as he called for self-introspection to end illegal activities, which benefit terrorism in the Union Territory. He said the government is implementing a new strategy, which includes deployment of army in the higher reaches to ensure that peace is restored within one week in Kathua, where five army personnel were killed and an equal number injured in an ambush by the terrorists on July 8. The recent terror incidents (in Jammu region) carried out by infiltrators from Pakistan is condemnable. But repeatedly saying that Pakistan has done this is not sufficient. We have to ask ourselves and inner-souls what we have done to end social evils which are benefitting terrorism, the minister of state in the prime minister's office told reporters in Kathua. The minister was in Kathua, part of his Udhampur parliamentary constituency, for
At least 24 people have been detained for questioning as the hunt for the terrorists behind the ambush in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, in which five army personnel were killed, entered its third day on Wednesday, officials said. The search operation by the army and police is underway amid intermittent heavy rain in dense forests across four districts, besides Kathua. It was launched from three different areas -- Kathua, Udhampur and Bhaderwah, official said. Security forces have detained 24 people for questioning in connection with the ambush, they said, as efforts continued to track down and neutralise the terrorists who are believed to be hiding in a forest. The officials said another search operation is underway in the higher reaches of Doda district where a gunfight took place between terrorists and security forces on Tuesday evening, a day after the ambush in Kathua. On the search operation linked to the Kathua ambush, the officials said army and police personnel are a
The Congress on Monday condemned the terror attack on Army personnel in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua and said no amount of whitewashing, fake claims, hollow boasts and chest-thumping can "erase the fact that the Modi government remains a disaster" for security in the Union Territory. Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said the answer to the continuous terrorist attacks has to be strict action, not "hollow speeches and false promises". Terrorists ambushed an army truck in the remote Machedi area of Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, killing five personnel, including a junior commissioned officer (JCO), and injuring five others. The attack occurred when terrorists targeted the Army vehicle with a grenade and gunfire during a routine patrol on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar road near Badnota village in Lohai Malhar, approximately 150 km from Kathua town, around 3:30 pm, they said. In a post on 'X', Kharge said, "Deeply anguished at the martyrdom of our four brave Indian Arm
Six terrorists were killed and two soldiers laid down their lives in twin encounters in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, officials said on Sunday. "The bodies of two terrorists were recovered from the Modergam encounter site while four bodies were recovered from the Chinnigam site on Sunday," they said. The twin encounters in the two villages of Kulgam district began on Saturday. Two army soldiers, including an elite para commando, laid down their lives while battling the terrorists, the officials said. Speaking about the operations, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police RR Swain said the neutralisation of such a big number of terrorists was a major achievement. "Undoubtedly, this is a big milestone in the efforts towards strengthening the security environment. These successes are very meaningful both substantively as well as in terms of messaging," he said. The success of the operations is an indication that the fight for elimination of terror in Jammu and Kashmir wil
The BJP on Monday said that the new criminal laws are a symbol of India's progress and resilience, positioning the country for a more just and secure future. Responding to a question in a press conference, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Indian Evidence Act, originating from 1860 and 1872, respectively, were outdated and ill-equipped to address contemporary issues. "Today is a historic day in the annals of our free country, India. An evolving society needs laws that cater to its needs and demands, protecting its rights," he said. Three new criminal laws came into effect in the country on Monday, bringing far-reaching changes in India's criminal justice system. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA) take into account some of the current social realities and modern-day crimes. The new laws replaced the British-era IPC, Code of Crim
The search operation is still underway to find the hidden terrorists, arms, and ammunition
Pakistan's government recently approved a 'reinvigorated and re-energised' national counter-terrorism campaign, called 'Operation Azm-i-Istehkam'
Terming the frequent acts glorifying terrorism in Canada as "deplorable", India has said it was "unfortunate" that such actions are allowed to be "routine" on many occasions here when it should be condemned by all peace-loving countries and people. In a statement on the 39th anniversary of the 1985 Kanishka bombing, in which 329 persons, most of them Canadians of Indian descent, on board an Air India flight lost their lives, the Indian High Commission said that terrorism knows "no borders, nationality, or race". The Montreal-New Delhi Air India 'Kanishka' Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was to have landed at London's Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, including 86 children. The bombing was blamed on Sikh militants in retaliation to 'Operation Bluestar' to flush out militants from the Golden Temple in 1984. The Indian High Commission in Ottawa and the consulates of India in Toronto and Vancouver organised memorial services on Sunday and ...
A tribunal set up under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) on Saturday confirmed the Centre's decision to impose a five-year ban on the Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) and Tehreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir. The one-member tribunal of Delhi High Court judge Sachin Datta was constituted under the stringent anti-terror law in January to assess whether there was "sufficient cause" behind the imposition of the ban. The Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masarat Alam faction) was declared outlawed for five years by the government under the UAPA on December 27, 2023 on account of being involved in anti-national and secessionist activities in the Union Territory. Founded by deceased separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the Tehreek-e-Hurriyat was declared outlawed for five years on December 31, 2023. The organisation was banned for fomenting terrorism and spreading anti-India propaganda in Jammu and Kashmir. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati and
It said that the decision to designate the IRGC through the Criminal Code listing regime sends a strong message that Canada will use all tools at its disposal to combat the terrorist activity
India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat, India's Consulate General in Vancouver has said as it reminded the world of the Kanishka bombing, the most heinous terror-related air disasters in the history of civil aviation. The Montreal-New Delhi Air India 'Kanishka' Flight 182 exploded 45 minutes before it was to have landed at London's Heathrow Airport on June 23, 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians of Indian descent. The bombing was blamed on Sikh militants in retaliation to 'Operation Bluestar' to flush out militants from the Golden Temple in 1984. The Consulate General of India has planned a memorial service to mark the anniversary of the bombing. "India stands at the forefront of countering the menace of terrorism and works closely with all nations to tackle this global threat," the Consulate General of India in Vancouver posted on X on Tuesday. "23 June 2024 mark
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday filed charge sheet against seven persons for recruiting and radicalising vulnerable youths as "mujahideens" to operate as terrorist sleeper cells, an official statement said. They were part of a bigger conspiracy by proscribed terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to prepare 50 such sleeper cells in each district of India by 2025, it said. The sleeper cells were being prepared to carry out guerrilla attacks on Indian soldiers, police personnel and leaders of specific religious organisations, the statement issued by the NIA said. The accused were also involved in the fabrication of explosives for furtherance of the ISIS goal to establish the Caliphate system in India by waging jihad against the government of India, it said. "In a major step towards demolishing the ISIS anti-India module network, the NIA on Thursday charge sheeted seven accused involved in the Bellary IS module case," the probe agency said.
This comes amid the region has been witnessing a surge in violence with three significant attacks: the Reasi terror attack, the Kathua terror attack, and the Doda terror attack
French authorities on Friday raised preliminary terrorism charges against an 18-year-old accused of a plot targeting spectators attending soccer games at the upcoming Paris Olympics. The interior minister said it was the first such thwarted plot targeting the Games, which start in eight weeks as France is on its highest threat alert level. The man is accused of planning a 'violent action' on behalf of the Islamic State group's jihadist ideology, the national counterterrorism prosecutor's office said in a statement Friday. The man, who was not identified, is being held in custody pending further investigation. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said in a statement that members of the General Directorate of Internal Security arrested an 18-year-old man from Chechnya on May 22 on suspicion of being behind a plan to attack soccer events that will be held in the southern city of Saint-Etienne. According to the initial investigation, the man was preparing an attack targeting the ...
Pakistan on Sunday asked Afghanistan's Taliban government to hand over banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan's (TTP) terrorists involved in a deadly attack on Chinese workers to Islamabad, according to a media report. Five Chinese were among six persons killed when an explosives-packed vehicle rammed into their bus in the troubled province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in March, in the second suicide attack on the personnel working on the China-backed hydropower project since 2021. The Chinese were working on the Dasu hydropower project, which is about 300 km to the north of Islamabad. The 4,320 MW project is being constructed by China Gezhouba with funding from the World Bank. "Whether Afghanistan try the terrorists (in the court of law) or not, it should hand over the militants to Pakistan," Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi said while addressing a joint press conference flanked by officials of the National Counter-Terrorism Authority. In view of the investigation report, the minister said that
A massive search operation to track down and neutralise two groups of terrorists in the dense forests of Basantgarh in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur district entered the second day on Monday. A village Defence Guard (VDG) was killed in a brief encounter with terrorists in remote Panara village in Chochru Gala heights early Sunday, following which the hunt was launched by the police, army and CRPF. The operation is on and there was no fresh contact with the fleeing terrorists. Additional forces have moved in this morning to intensify the efforts to track down and neutralise the terrorists, a police official said. Additional Director General of Police, Jammu zone, Anand Jain said two groups of terrorists are believed to be present in the area after they recently infiltrated from across the border. He said the strength of the two groups, as per preliminary investigation, is between four and six and the security forces are working on various inputs to flush them out. According to offic
Pakistani security forces have killed seven terrorists trying to infiltrate the country's border with Afghanistan in the restive Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, the military said. The security forces detected a movement of the seven terrorists near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Spinkai area of Ghulam Khan in the tribal district of North Waziristan, the ISPR, the military's media wing, said. The infiltrators were surrounded, effectively engaged and after an intense fire exchange, all seven territories were killed, it added. A large quantity of weapons, ammunition, and explosives was also recovered from the killed terrorists. Pakistan has consistently been asking the Taliban-led interim Afghan government to ensure effective border management on their side of the border. After the killing of the seven terrorists, the military again urged the interim rulers to fulfil their obligations and deny the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for perpetrating acts of terrorism .
The United States' response comes after PM Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's recent statements saying India won't hesitate to eliminate terrorists in their homes
Six security personnel, including a senior police officer, died while 12 militants were killed in separate terror incidents and security operations in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces in the past two days, officials said on Sunday. The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Pakistan armed forces, said in the Balochistan province, four militants were killed in two separate incidents. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), eight militants were killed in the Kot Sultan area of Kulachi tehsil in Dera Ismail Khan district when security forces carried out an operation against them, the ISPR said. The security forces recovered weapons, ammunition and explosives from the slain militants, it added. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Lakki Marwat, a DSP and two cops were killed and a constable was injured by armed miscreants in two separate incidents on Friday night, officials said. The officials said DSP Gul Muhammad, along with other policemen, had set up a
Four persons were arrested on Saturday in connection with the blast near Panur here a day ago that claimed one life and caused injuries to three others, police said. Police said that the arrested accused, the three injured persons and the one who died, all of them were CPI(M) workers or supporters, a claim that has been denied by the Left party. A senior officer of Panur police station said that they have arrested Shebin Lal, K Atul, K K Arun and Sayooj all of whom were allegedly present when the country-made bomb being made had exploded. Sayooj was caught from Palakkad while allegedly trying to escape to Coimbatore in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, police said. Three others -- Vineesh, Vinod and Ashwanth -- who were also injured in the blast are undergoing treatment, it added. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan said that the party has no connection with those involved in the incident as they had attacked party members in the past. He said there was no need for the party to make weapo