Page 8 - Terrorism

70% decline in terror incidents in J&K: MHA tells Parliamentary panel

Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed an over 70 per cent decline in terror-related incidents under the Narendra Modi government since 2019, according to a Union Home Ministry presentation to a parliamentary panel. Official sources said that while making the presentation, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs that despite a decline in terror-related cases in the past five years, threats from militant groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad continued to loom large. Mohan's presentation bears significance as the Centre abrogated Article 370, which granted special powers to Jammu and Kashmir, and reorganised the erstwhile state into two Union territories on August 5, 2019. Law and order in the two Union territories is now the direct responsibility of the central government. Civilian safety has been the prime concern for the Modi government and security agencies are putting maximum emphasis on that, Mohan and his team of ...

India reiterates stand on terrorism, highlights peacekeeping efforts at UN

Counsellor Eldos Mathew Punnoos from India delivered the statement at the General Debate in the Fourth Committee of the UN General Assembly

L-G Sinha, CM condemn killings of 2 VDGs by terrorists in J&K's Kishtwar

Two Village Defence Guards were on Thursday executed by terrorists after their abduction in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said. A massive joint search operation has been launched by police and the Army in a dense forest area following the gruesome killings, which were condemned by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and leaders of the National Conference, People's Democratic Party, Congress and the BJP. The officials said Nazir Ahmad and Kuldeep Kumar, both residents of Ohli-Kuntwara, had gone to graze their cattle in the Munzla Dhar forest of the Adhwari area in the morning but did not return. They said police parties fanned out to find them amid reports that they had been abducted and killed by terrorists. "We have received information that my brother and Ahmad were abducted and killed by terrorists. They were Village Defence Guards (VDGs) and had gone to graze cattle, as usual," Kumar's brother Prithvi told PTI.

Abdullah knows terror comes from Pak, what's there to investigate, asks BJP

Earlier today, the National Conference President Farooq Abdullah demanded inquiry amid continuous terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir

NIA investigating 6 cases against designated terrorist Gurpatwant Pannu

In its investigation against Pannu, the agency has so far attached three properties owned by Pannu in Chandigarh. Additionally, several land parcels in Amritsar linked to him have also been seized

2 Army porters killed, 3 soldiers among 4 injured in Gulmarg terror attack

A porter was killed and five others, including three soldiers, were injured on Thursday when terrorists attacked an Army vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg area, officials said. They said the terrorists opened fire on the vehicle at Botapathri near Nagin post. The officials said a porter was killed in the attack, while four soldiers sustained injuries. The injured soldiers were rushed to a hospital, they added.

Dialogue and diplomacy only way forward, not war: PM Modi tells Brics

New centres of power & economic growth to create multipolar global order, Kazan Declaration says

SCO Summit Day 2: S Jaishankar to attend talks on trade, terrorism in Pak

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif exchanged pleasantries during an informal dinner hosted by the latter on Tuesday

France tightens steps to prevent Osama bin Laden's son from returning

France's interior minister said Tuesday he has taken additional steps against any effort by one of the sons of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden to return to France. Omar bin Laden had been living in France's Normandy region but left the country in October 2023 after French authorities withdrew his residency papers and ordered him out, the Interior Ministry said. At the time, authorities also barred him from returning to France for two years, the ministry added. In a post Tuesday on the social media platform X, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said he imposed an additional ban to ensure that Omar bin Laden will not be able to return to France for any reason whatsoever. French daily Le Parisien reported that Omar bin Laden now lives in Qatar. It said he had previously been living since 2016 in the Orne region of Normandy with his British wife and had been working as an artist. The newspaper said that last week he lost a legal battle to overturn the ban on him returning to ...

Fully capable of checking infiltration, drone attacks, smuggling: BSF chief

The Border Security Force is fully capable of checking infiltration, drone attacks and smuggling, and is getting encouraging results in the fight against Naxalism, said BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary on Saturday. He was addressing an event after attending the passing out parade of Assistant Commandants at the BSF Academy in the Tekanpur area of Madhya Pradesh's Gwalior. BSF is deployed along the borders of the country. We are ready and in action to ensure that there is no infiltration, drone attack or smuggling in any area. We are fully capable of checking infiltration, drone attack and smuggling, he told reporters here. The force is also getting continuous success in anti-Naxal operations across the country, he said. BSF is accomplishing its task in coordination with local police in a disciplined way, Chawdhary said. The Tekanpur academy is the best institute to train officers and the history of BSF has been one of sacrifice and glory, he said. On Saturday, 77 ...

Exchange of fire between terrorists, security forces in J-K's Kupwara

Earlier on September 29, an encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district

Two Army personnel injured in landmine blast near LOC in J-K's Kupwara

Two Army personnel were injured in a landmine blast near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district on Friday, officials said. "In the wee hours, during patrolling at Googaldara near LoC in Trehgam area of the north Kashmir district, two army personnel got injured in a landmine blast," the officials said. The two personnel have been admitted to the army hospital in Drugmulla and their condition is stable.

West Africa becomes global terrorism hotspot as Western forces leave

The Sept. 17 attack was the most brazen since 2016 in a capital city in the Sahel, a vast arid region stretching across sub-Saharan Africa south of the Sahara Desert

Terrorists exchange fire with security forces in J&K's Kishtwar district

A brief encounter took place between terrorists and security forces in a remote forest area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district on Saturday evening, officials said. The gunfight broke out when the forces launched a search operation in Chatroo forest following information about the presence of terrorists, the security officials said. They said reinforcements have been rushed to the area and further details are awaited. Meanwhile, a massive search operation is also continuing in the Chassana area of Reasi district where terrorists and security forces were engaged in a gunfight on Friday evening.

J&K Assembly Elections | Will bury terrorism so deep that no one will dare to revive it: Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said there were attempts to revive terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, and added that it will be "buried to such a level" in the Union Territory

Army personnel injured while foiling infiltration bid in J&K's Rajouri

An army personnel was injured in an encounter with terrorists attempting to infiltrate across the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, security officials said. The encounter occurred in the Kalal area of the Nowshera sector when army troops guarding the LoC intercepted a group of terrorists trying to infiltrate into this side, the officials said. This was the second infiltration attempt by terrorists in Nowshera in the past week. Earlier on September 9, two heavily armed terrorists were killed near the LoC in the Laam area of this sector. Army troops noticed some terrorists and challenged them, leading to a gunfight which continued for some time, the officials said, adding the terrorists fled into the nearby forest and a massive search operation is on to track down and neutralize them.

J-K polls: BJP will grant statehood to J&K if voted to power, says PM Modi

J-K Assembly polls: During an election rally in Doda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will grant full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir if the party comes to power

2 army personnel killed, 2 injured during encounter in J&K's Kishtwar

Four army personnel were injured in an encounter that broke out following a search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district, officials said. Acting on a tip-off, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Naidgham area in Chhatroo belt, police officials said. There was an exchange of fire between search teams of security forces and hiding terrorists at Pingnal Dugadda forest area, upper reaches of Naidgham village under the jurisdiction of Police Station Chhatroo, they said. Army said tonight that a joint operation with the police was launched in area Chatroo on the basis of intelligence inputs. "A contact has been established with the terrorists at 1530 hours", White Knight Corps said in a post on X. In the ensuing firefight, four army personnel have been injured. The operation is in progress, it said. Further details are awaited.

2013 Patna blasts: HC commutes death sentences of 4 to 30 years in jail

The Patna High Court on Wednesday commuted the death sentences of four persons convicted for the 2013 serial blasts in Patna that targeted the inaugural rally of Narendra Modi, who was then the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, in Bihar. A division bench comprising Justices Ashutosh Kumar and Jitendra Kumar disposed of the Death Reference moved by state government on the order of a special NIA court, and ruled that the four convicts shall serve "30 years in prison". In October 2021, the trial court convicted nine persons in total, sentencing two to life imprisonment, two others to 10 years in jail each, and one to seven years in prison, while acquitting one of the accused. In a 63-page order, the High Court said for Imtiyaz Alam, Haider Ali, Numan Ansari, and Mujibullah Ansari, a 30-year prison sentence "would suffice and would meet the ends of justice." Incidentally, Alam, Ali and Mujibullah Ansari are also serving life sentence in Bodh Gaya serial blasts of July, 2013. The court

Major terror attack foiled in Pak's Punjab, over 30 terrorists arrested

Law enforcement agencies have arrested 33 terrorists of various banned groups including Al-Qaeda and 133 Brigade, and foiled a major terror plot in Punjab province of Pakistan, police said on Saturday. Punjab police have registered 32 cases against the terrorists and shifted them to an unknown location, according to the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police, which conducted 475 intelligence-based operations in different districts of the province this week. At least 475 suspected persons were interrogated, the CTD said in a statement and added, The terror plot in Punjab was foiled by arresting 33 terrorists belonging to banned outfits during operations in different areas of Punjab. Terrorists from Al-Qaeda, 133 Brigade, Sipah Sahaba Pakistan, Lashkar Jhangvi, and Tehreek Jafaria Pakistan were arrested with weapons, explosives, and other prohibited materials. Explosives, two hand grenades, two IED bombs, 26 detonators, safety fuse wire, four pistols, bullets, and banned