The Chhattisgarh

Tag: J&K

  • J&K Police Block Political Leaders from Visiting Martyrs’ Graveyard on Anniversary |

    The Jammu and Kashmir Police have prohibited several mainstream political parties from visiting the 13-July-1931 martyrs’ graveyard and have not allowed any congregational prayers on the death anniversary of the 1931 martyrs in the Naqashband Sahib area of Srinagar.

    Leaders of the Apni Party, including its President Altaf Bukhari, and leaders of the National Conference were stopped by the police from visiting the martyrs’ graveyard in Naqashband Sahib, Srinagar, to pay homage to the martyrs of July 13, 1931. The police prevented them from moving forward as soon as they left the party’s Sheikh Bagh office to visit the graveyard. The leaders later held Fateh prayers on the road near Sheikh Bagh, and National Conference leaders were stopped while they were trying to come out from the party headquarters, Nawai Subha complex.

    Former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, also claimed that their residence gates were closed, and they and many party members were not allowed to visit the martyrs’ graveyard. Abdullah wrote on social media, stating, “Another 13th July, Martyr’s Day, another round of locked gates & police excesses to stop people from paying homage to those who sacrificed their lives to establish a just, fair & democratic regime in J&K.”

    Mehbooba Mufti wrote on X, “The gates of my house have been locked up yet again to prevent me from visiting Mazar e Shuhada – an enduring symbol of Kashmir’s resistance & resilience against authoritarianism, oppression & injustice. The sacrifices of our martyrs are a testament that the spirit of Kashmiris cannot be crushed. Today, even observing it in remembrance of the protesters martyred on this day has been criminalized. On 5th August 2019, J&K was dismembered, disempowered & stripped of everything that was sacrosanct for us. They intend to erase each one of our collective memories. But such assaults will only strengthen our determination to continue the fight for our rights & dignity.”

    On July 13, 1931, several Kashmiri people were killed by the police of Maharaja Hari Singh for assembling outside the Central Jail Srinagar, demanding the release of a prisoner arrested by Maharaja Hari Singh’s administration on charges of sedition. Since then, the day had been observed as Martyrs’ Day by the Jammu and Kashmir government until 2019.

    Following the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, the BJP government not only removed the government holiday on Martyrs’ Day but also discontinued the practice of congregational prayers at the martyrs’ graveyard. This move is strongly opposed by Kashmir-centric mainstream political leaders and their supporters, who see it as an attempt to change the political discourse of Jammu and Kashmir.

  • Uri Encounter Update: Two Terrorists Killed, Security Forces Retrieve One Body In Ongoing Operation |

    Uri Encounter Update: The body of a terrorist was discovered by security personnel on Sunday during an ongoing anti-infiltration operation in J&K’s Uri area. “A dead body of the terrorist was recovered today while the search for the other dead terrorist is going on,” according to an official.

    He confirmed that the operation is still ongoing in the region. On Saturday, security forces battled a group of infiltrating terrorists on the Line of Control in the Uri area, killing at least two of them. The officer claimed that the dead bodies of the two terrorists could not be recovered on Saturday since they were lying near to the LoC.

    This is a developing story.
     

  • Anti-Terror Operation Underway After 4 Soldiers Killed In Ambush In J&K’s Poonch |

    POONCH/JAMMU: A massive anti-terror operation is currently underway after four soldiers lost their lives, and three others sustained injuries as heavily armed terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. The attack occurred at a blind curve at Dhatyar Morh between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz, under the jurisdiction of Surankote police station, around 3:45 pm. The security forces are conducting a massive search operation in and around Dera Ki Gali, also known as the DKG area after the incident. A joint search and combing operation is being conducted by the Indian Army, CRPF and the J&K Police.  

     

    #WATCH | Security forces are conducting a search operation in the forest area of Dera ki Gali in the Rajouri sector after the terrorist attack on Army vehicles yesterday pic.twitter.com/V56EjGzfC2
    — ANI (@ANI) December 22, 2023

     

    The People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), an offshoot of Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), has reportedly claimed responsibility for the deadly ambush. Former Chief Ministers of Jammu and Kashmir – Ghulam Nabi Azad and Mehbooba Mufti – have strongly condemned the attack.

    Swift Response Amidst Ambush

    The targeted vehicles were en route to a cordon-and-search operation when the terrorists launched the ambush. According to Jammu-based Defence PRO Lt Col Suneel Bartwal, the joint search operation was initiated based on “hard intelligence” about the presence of terrorists. As additional forces moved to the site, the terrorists opened fire on the Army vehicles—a truck and a Gypsy. The troops promptly responded, leading to a tragic outcome with four soldiers losing their lives and three sustaining injuries.

    Anti-Terror Operation Underway

    The operation is currently in progress, and officials are actively working to gather further details. Disturbing images and videos from the site depict the aftermath, with blood on the street, broken helmets, and shattered windscreens of the Army vehicles. There is speculation that soldiers might have engaged in hand-to-hand combat with the terrorists during the intense confrontation, and there are concerns that the terrorists may have taken away arms belonging to the targeted soldiers.

    As the operation unfolds, authorities are diligently working to gather more information and mitigate the threat posed by terrorists in the region. This incident follows a recent major gunfight in the Dharmsal belt of the Bajimaal forest area in the nearby Rajouri district, where five Army personnel, including two captains, lost their lives last month.

    The stretch between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz has been a hotspot for violence, with dense forests leading to Chamrer and Bhata Dhurian forests. The region has witnessed multiple encounters this year, resulting in 54 casualties, including 19 security personnel and 28 terrorists. Officials attribute the surge in violence to “desperate attempts from across the border” to revive terrorism in the region.

    In the face of this tragic incident, the authorities are grappling with the ongoing challenge of maintaining security in the border region, where terrorists have been persistent in their attempts to infiltrate.