Srinagar Mar 24 PTI A tourist mini-bus skidded off the Srinagar-Leh Highway in Ganderbal district killing two women travellers and leaving about 20 injured officials said on ThursdayThey said the incident happened near Hariganiwan area of the central Kashmir district and that the injured have been rushed to a hospitalJ-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the loss of lives and directed the district administration to provide all necessary assistance to the injuredDeeply saddened by the tragic and unfortunate road accident in Ganderbal in which two tourists have lost their lives My heartfelt condolences to bereaved families prayers for speedy recovery of the injured Directed district admin to provide all necessary assistance to injured Sinha said on TwitterNational Conference president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar Abdullah also expressed deep anguish over the accidentThey also impressed upon the divisional administration to provide the best of medical treatment to all the injured an NC spokesman said PTI SSB SSB TIR TIR

Srinagar Feb 19 PTI An unidentified militant was on Saturday killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir police said Acting on specific input about the presence of militants at Chermarg in the Zainapora area of Shopian security forces launched a cordon and search operation there a police official said He said as the forces were conducting searches in the area the hiding militants fired upon them The forces retaliated ensuing an encounter in which a militant was killed the official said The identity and group affiliation of the slain ultra is being ascertained he said PTI SSB AQS AQS

Srinagar Feb 19 PTI An encounter broke out between militants and security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs Shopian district on Saturday police said Acting on specific input about the presence of militants at Chermarg in the Zainapora area of Shopian security forces launched a cordon and search operation there a police official said He said as the forces were conducting searches in the area the hiding militants fired upon them The forces retaliated ensuing an encounter the official said The exchange of firing is going on and further details are awaited he said PTI SSB AQS AQS

Srinagar Jan 29 PTI Two separate encounters broke out between security forces and militants in Pulwama and Budgam districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday police said Acting on a specific input about the presence of militants in the Naira area of Pulwama in south Kashmir security forces launched a cordon and search operation there a police official said He said as the forces were conducting searches the hiding militants fired upon them The forces retaliated ensuing an encounter the official added The exchange of firing is going on and further details are awaited he said Another encounter broke out between security forces and ultras in the Chrar-i-Sharief area of central Kashmirs Budgam district the official said He said the exchange of firing between the two sides was going on and further details are awaited PTI SSB AQS AQS

Srinagar Jan 29 PTI Militants on Saturday shot dead a policeman in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir police said J-K Police head constable Ali Mohammad was fired upon by militants at around 535 pm near his residence at Hasanpora in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag a police official said He said Mohammad was shifted to a hospital in critical condition where he succumbed The area has been cordoned off and a hunt launched to nab the assailants the official said PTI SSB AQS AQS

Srinagar Jan 20 PTI A 56-year-old woman died after a fire broke out in a house in the Aali Kadal area here officials said The fire broke out in a residential house near Rehbab Sahab Shrine and engulfed the nearby houses they said Three houses were gutted in the blaze The fire was brought under control by the Fire and Emergency Services A 56 year-old-woman Shakeela suffered burn injuries in the incident She was admitted to SMHS hospital where she succumbed the officials said PTI SSB MIJ AQS AQS

Srinagar Dec 25 PTI National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the central government should ensure an adequate supply of Covid vaccine booster shots across the country His comments came after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that precaution dose for healthcare and frontline workers will begin from January 10 in the country Vaccines for children 15-18 age group to start from 3rd Jan 22 frontline workers people aged 60 with co-morbidities will be given a boosterprecautionary dose from 10th Jan The decision comes not a moment too soon vaccine BoosterJab PrecautionaryDose Abdullah wrote on Twitter After the announcement now all that remains is for the government to ensure an adequate supply of the vaccines he said Also a greater choice of vaccines beyond the two already available will go a long way to helping with the booster rollout the NC leader said PTI SSB AQS AQS

Srinagar Dec 23 PTI The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg and many other parts in the higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Thursday even as there was a significant improvement in the minimum temperature across the valley officials saidTwo to three inches of fresh snow accumulated at Gulmarg and its adjoining areas of Tangmarg and Babareshi they saidThe officials said othe areas which received fresh snowfall include Gurez Razdan Pass Sadhna Pass Furkain Gali Z-Gali and Shopian and Zojilla PassSome areas received rains they saidThis is the first snowfall of this seasons Chilla-i-Kalan the 40-day harshest winter period which began on TuesdayOwing to the cloud cover the minimum temperature improved across the valley on Wednesday night and settled above the freezing point at most placesSrinagar recorded a low of 26 degrees Celsius on Wednesday night up from the previous nights minus 18 degrees CelsiusThe officials said Pahalgam which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra recorded a low of 03 degrees Celsius up from minus 52 degrees Celsius the previous nightThe minimum in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of 26 degrees CelsiusQazigund the gateway town to the valley recorded 08 degrees Celsius while Kokernag recorded a low of minus 07 degrees CelsiusGulmarg was the only place recorded place in the valley where the minimum stayed below the freezing point as it registered a low of minus 37 degrees CelsiusThe MET Office said there is possibility of light rain or snow at isolated places in J-K over the next 24 hoursAnother snow spell of greater intensity is most likely during December 26-27 Expect widespread light to moderate snow in plains of Kashmir rain in Jammu and moderate snow at scattered places of Ladakh especially Kargil-Zanskar region it saidThe Chilla-i-Kalan which began on Tuesday is the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies including the famous Dal Lake here as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valleyThe chances of snowfall are the most frequent and maximum during this period and most areas especially in the higher reaches receive heavy snowfallThe Chilla-i-Kalan will end on January 31 but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long Chillai-Khurd small cold and a 10-day-long Chillai-Bachha baby cold PTI SSB MIJ DV DV

Srinagar Nov 21 PTI Cold conditions continued in Kashmir on Sunday as the minimum temperature settled below the freezing point across the Valley officials said The meteorological department has forecast mostly dry weather for the week The valley witnessed sub-zero minimum temperature Saturday night and the mercury was two to three degrees below the normal for this part of the season at most places the MeT officials said Srinagar recorded a low of minus 13 degrees Celsius Saturday night -- slightly up from minus 15 degrees Celsius the previous night they said The officials said Pahalgam which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra recorded a low of minus 42 degrees Celsius Pahalgam was the coldest recorded place in Kashmir Gulmarg resort in north Kashmirs Baramulla district recorded a minimum temperature of minus 14 degrees Celsius The mercury in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 30 degrees Celsius Qazigund the gateway town to the valley recorded minus 22 degrees Celsius while Kokernag registered a low of minus 13 degrees Celsius The MeT Office predicted the weather will most likely remain dry over the week ahead However there is possibility of light snowfall over extreme north Kashmir parts on November 24 it said The wintry conditions in Kashmir have set-in much ahead of the beginning of extreme harsh weather conditions which usually start around the third week of December Chillai Kalan the 40-day period of harsh winter in Kashmir begins on December 21 every year PTI SSB AQS AQS

Srinagar Nov 20 PTI An unidentified militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmirs Kulgam district on Saturday police said Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the Ashmuji area of the south Kashmir district following information about the presence of militants there a police official said During the operation the hiding militants fired at the forces leading to a gunfight he said adding one ultra was killed The identity and group affiliation of the slain militant is being ascertained he said The operation is going on and further details are awaited the official said PTI SSB AQS AQS