Srinagar Apr 22 PTI Private airliner Go First formerly known as GoAir has become the first airline to receive approval from the Airports Authority of India for night parking at Srinagar as well as Jammu airports officials said on Friday Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha launched the night parking facility at the airports on Thursday This provision will ensure late night and early morning take-offs from the two airports This is a significant development for the union territory as the night parking permission will facilitate better flight operations from the region a Go First spokesman said We would like to thank the authorities for their kind consideration and will continue our commitment to the development of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Executive Officer Go First Kaushik Khona said Go First is the only airline appointed for the cargo movement of horticultural perishable and agricultural produce of the Jammu and Kashmir Horticulture Products a state-owned company he said Speaking at the launch event Sinha said the initiative will ease air travelling with a multiplier effect on the hospitality industry The new beginning reflects our commitment to strengthen connectivity and fulfil the mobility needs of the people The initiative will make travelling effortless for those looking for single-day travel Sinha said We are moving ahead to fulfil M Modis vision of making Jammu and Kashmir a vibrant industrial and tourism hub by developing infrastructure strengthening enabling environment and ensuring better connectivity he added The Lieutenant Governor said despite COVID-19 the Jammu and Srinagar airports had achieved new records In March 2021 1030 flight operations were recorded at the Jammu airport and more than one lakh passengers travelled This number soared to 1346 flights and roughly 155 lakh passengers he said PTI SSB MIJ NB SSB NB CJ CJ CJ

Srinagar Feb 25 PTI Two unidentified terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday police said Acting on specific input about the presence of terrorists in Amshipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir security forces launched a cordon and search operation there a police official said The search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists fired upon the forces who retaliated he said In the ensuing encounter two terrorists were killed the official said He said the identity and group affiliation of the slain ultras was being ascertained PTI SSB MIJ DV DV

Srinagar Feb 25 PTI An encounter broke out between security forces and terrorists in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday police said Acting on specific input about the presence of terrorists in Amshipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir security forces launched a cordon and search operation there a police official said The search operation turned into an encounter after the terrorists fired upon the forces who retaliated he said The exchange of fire is going on and further details were awaited the official said PTI SSB MIJ DV DV

Srinagar Feb 24 PTI Authorities launched a rescue mission on Thursday to trace six persons who went missing a day ago while travelling from Anantnag to Kishtwar district in Jammu and Kashmir officials said A three-pronged rescue mission was launched to trace them they saidRescue mission has been launched to search six missing persons at Margan Top officials said One team is proceeding by road along with snow cutter machine and JCB headed by an SDM accompanied by Tehsildar MED and NHIDCL officials they said A second team comprising Army Rescue team and local volunteers is proceeding by foot they saidThe third one -- a helicopter rescue team -- is currently on standby at Larkipora waiting for the weather to improve the officials added The six persons from Warwan went on foot from Anantnag via Margan TopKashmir valley especially the areas in the south received heavy snowfall on Wednesday and there are apprehensions that the persons might have been caught in the snow PTI SSB MIJ TDS TDS

Srinagar Feb 24 PTI The air traffic to and fro Kashmir resumed on Thursday after remaining affected for about two days due to bad weather following heavy snowfall across the valley officials said The flight operations resumed at the Srinagar airport here in the afternoon the officials said They said the visibility at the airport improved from about 800 metres in the morning to about 1500 metres leading to the commencement of the operations Earlier all flights were delayed in the morning while at least two flights were cancelledKashmir valley received heavy snowfall -- the first heavy fall of the season in the plains -- on Wednesday The snowfall threw life out of gear and led to disruption of flight operations All the flights on Wednesday were cancelled as the visibility was very poor PTI SSB MIJ DV DV

Srinagar Feb 24 PTI The air traffic toand fro Kashmir was affected for the second consecutive day on Thursday due to low visibility following heavy snowfall across the valley officials said No flight operations took place at the Srinagar airport here so far the officials said They said the visibility at the airport was about 800 metres which was less than the required visibility for the flight operations to take placeAll flights are delayed At least two flights have been cancelled the officials saidThe flight operations will commence once there is an improvement in the visibility they added Kashmir valley received heavy snowfall -- the first heavy fall of the season in the plains -- on Wednesday The snowfall threw life out of gear and led to disruption of flight operations All the flights on Wednesday were cancelled as the visibility was very poor PTI SSB MIJ DV DV

Srinagar Feb 23 PTI Life was thrown out of gear in Kashmir on Wednesday as most areas of the valley received snowfall - the seasons first heavy fall in the plains - disrupting flight and railway operations and leading to the closure of the vital Srinagar-Jammu national highway officials here said Most areas of the valley received moderate to heavy snowfall which started in the night and was going on when last reports came in they said The areas in the higher reaches of the Union Territory received very heavy snowfall -- around two feet or more they said The officials said Srinagar - the summer capital of the union territory - recorded about eight inches of snow till this morning The authorities have pressed men and machinery into service to clear the snow off the roads many of which such as those leading to hospitals and other vital installations are being cleared on priority the officials said The bad weather affected the flight operations to and fro the Kashmir valley At least six flights at the Srinagar airport have been cancelled and the rest have been delayed the officials said The visibility at the airport dropped below 400 metres and the continuous snowfall was hampering the snow clearance operations they said Train service between Baramulla and Banihal was suspended this morning due to the accumulation of snow on the railway tracks the officials said The 300-km Jammu-Srinagar highway was closed as besides snowfall it received heavy rains resulting in shooting stones at a few places they said Traffic was barred on either side of the highway the officials added The Meteorological department has said that a gradual decrease in rain and snow is expected from Wednesday afternoon and there would be a significant improvement in the weather evening onwards Overall improvement is most likely from Thursday onwards After this spell there is no forecast of any major rainsnow till the end of this month the Met office said The authorities have appealed to people to not move out of their homes unless absolutely necessary Snow clearance machines of MED mechanical engineering department and other departments are clearing the snow mechanically and manually from the main roads since early morning but due to continuous snowfall the roads are very slippery and there are chances of accidents the authorities said in an advisory In the wake of the snowfall Kashmir University postponed all examinations for the day PTI SSB MIJ VN VN

Srinagar Jan 21 PTI Authorities on Friday afternoon imposed restrictions on the non-essential movement of people across Kashmir as a 64-hour lockdown began in the union territory in view of an exponential rise in the number of coronavirus cases since the beginning of the new year officials said Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday recorded 5992 fresh cases of coronavirus -- the highest single day spike since the pandemic began There are 31044 active cases in the UT Police vehicles fitted with public address systems announced the restrictions at several places across the valley in the afternoon after the government ordered complete restriction on non-essential movement during from 2 pm on Friday till 6 am on Monday in the entire Jammu and Kashmir the officials said Shops and other business establishments in the city and elsewhere in the valley which had opened this morning were forced by police to shut in view of the restrictions they said The police closed the markets and asked people to return to their homesAfter the movement of people early in the morning the police erected barricades at several places in the city here and other areas of the valley and the movement of public was restricted the officials said They said only employees and emergency cases were allowed to move and all other non-essential movement was restricted The district authorities appealed to the people to cooperate with the administration and curtail their movement in view of the rising cases PTI SSB MIJ RCJ RCJ

Srinagar Dec 23 PTI Security forces on Thursday recovered and destroyed an improvised explosive device IED in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir police saidActing on a specific intelligence input that terrorists have planted an IED on the Newa-Srinagar road in Wanpora area of the south Kashmir district a search operation was launched by the security forces a police official saidDuring the searches the IED was found planted on the roadside he saidThe IED weighed approx five kgs and was assembled in a container the official saidHe said a bomb disposal team of police and army destroyed the IED on the spot through a controlled detonationA case has been registered and investigation taken up the official said adding with the timely action a major tragedy has been averted PTI SSB MIJ DV DV

Srinagar Nov 29 PTI The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday said that the union territorys statehood will be restored once the selective killings end and the common people are able to move freely here The BJP is concerned over the selective killings in Kashmir as its activists were targeted BJP general secretary organisation Ashok Koul told reporters in north Kashmirs BandiporaIn these selective killings the BJP leaders are being killed here or the non-Kashmiris or non-Muslims even some Muslims are also targeted We are against every selective killing no religion allows it Koul said He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home minster Amit Shah have on the floor of the Parliament said that the statehood of J-K will be restored and the BJP also supports the demand When the situation in J-K becomes better when it situation will be normal the selective killings will end and common people will be able to move freely the statehood will then be restored he saidTo a question on the conduct of the assembly elections the BJP leader said the polls will be held soon after the delimitation commission submits its reportThe delimitation commission has a time till March 6 next year When the commission submits its report under which 90 seats will be delimited the elections will be followed soon after he said PTI SSB MIJ RCJ RCJ