Srinagar Jan 20 PTI Security forces on Thursday arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba LeT militant in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir and seized arms and ammunition from his possession police said A police official said security forces launched a search operation in the Chadoora area of Budgam in the morning after learning about the presence of an ultra there He said during the operation an active terrorist affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT was apprehended The official identified him as Jehangir Ahmad Naikoo a resident of Memandar in Shopian Incriminating material arms and ammunition including a pistol two pistol magazines and 16 pistol rounds was seized from his possession he said A case has been registered and further investigation initiated the official said PTI SSB MIJ AQS AQS

Srinagar Nov 25 PTI The National Conference on Thursday denounced the claims of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on changed ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir as a bundle of lies to whitewash the devastating impact of the Centres August 5 2019 decisions on the people and economy of the erstwhile state In a joint statement NCs Members of Parliament Mohammad Akbar Lone and Hasnain Masoodi asked the Union finance minister which yardstick she had employed to gauge the development and growth parameters in Jammu and Kashmir The MPs said the minister gloating on the Kashmir situation is a bundle of lies which is belied by the prevailing ground situation in the Valley They said the ministers in the incumbent dispensation at the helm of affairs in Delhi have been outlandishly lying to whitewash the devastating outcome of the August 5 2019 unilateral and undemocratic decisions of revoking J-Ks special status Denouncing the absurd chicanery of the Union minister the NC MPs said if the situation was that good then why has the footprint of forces increased in Kashmir Why have bunkers night raids civilian killings returned to haunt people How has the unemployment ratio skyrocketed to an all-time high of 216 per cent which is thrice the national average Why are people associated with manufacturing horticulture tourism and trade in the throes of a profound crisis What yardstick has the concerned minister employed to gauge the development in Jammu and Kashmir the statement said The NC leaders said such claims are akin to running salt into the wounds of the people of J-K who are being denied democracy and not trusted with a popular government whose democratic rights have been crippled and whose exclusive rights over the land jobs and natural resources stand liquidated The MPs said the decisions of August 5 2019 have plunged J-K into a deep chasm of political uncertainty and insecurity dissolving the multitude of dividends encashed by previous democratically elected successive state and central governments in terms of improving security infusing confidence in youth generating employment and perking up development A simple fact check will reveal how badly Jammu and Kashmir is doing on all developmental indices The major causality of the abrogation of Articles 370 35 A has been the freedom of press in Jammu and Kashmir By denying the press its due freedom the government is only peddling it lies to whitewash the aftermath of the Himalayan blunder it committed on August 5 2019 The new media policy 2020 has taken away the basic principle of a free press and systematically stifled all forms of dissent the statement said Cautioning the central government against misconstruing the situation in Jammu and Kashmir the MPs demanded the rollback of August 5 2019 decisions PTI SSB MIJ AQS AQS

Srinagar Nov 25 PTI Most of the shops in the Downtown area of Srinagar were shut on Thursday while mobile internet remained suspended in many parts of the city a day after the killing of three militants including the self-styled commander of The Resistance Front TRF in an encounter officials said They said the areas where the shutdown was observed included Nowhatta Gojwara Khanyar Safakadal Nawakadal Rajouri Kadal and MR Gunj in the interior areas of Srinagar However traffic was plying normally they added The officials said mobile internet was suspended in several areas of the city as a precautionary measure Police on Wednesday said security forces killed three militants in a brief encounter in the Rambagh area of the city The slain included self-styled commander of TRF Mehran Shalla a resident of the Jamalata area in Nawakadal here The other two militants were identified as Manzoor Ahmad Mir and Arafat Sheikh both residents of Pulwama Police said the three were affiliated with TRF an offshoot of the Lashkar-e-Toiba Shalla was wanted by security forces in connection with several civilian killings including the shooting of two teachers belonging to minority communities inside a school in the Eidgah area of the city last month they said PTI SSB MIJ AQS AQS

Srinagar Oct 22 PTI Security has been beefed up across Kashmir ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shahs maiden visit to the Valley after the abrogation of Article 370 on Saturday officials said They said a thick security cover has been thrown around the BJP office at Jawahar Nagar in the city where Shah is likely to pay a visit Similarly roads leading to Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre SKICC have been made off-limits for three days from Saturday as the Union home minister is expected to attend an event there they added It will be Shahs first visit to Kashmir after the Centre revoked J-Ks special status and bifurcated the erstwhile state into union territories in August 2019 The officials said additional deployment of security forces has been made across the valley especially in Srinagar Official sources said 50 companies of additional paramilitary forces are being inducted into the valley in the wake of the recent spate of civilian killings Bunkers manned by paramilitary CRPF have come up in several areas of the city as well in other parts of the valley the officials said They said the aim of constructing new bunkers and putting more personnel on the ground was to cut the free movement of militants The officials said barricades have been put up on the roads across the valley especially in the city while frisking and checking of people has been intensified The mobile internet services on a dozen towers -- mostly in the areas where non-local labourers were killed in the past week -- were snapped three days ago as part of the security measures they said The officials said police have started stringent checking of documents of two-wheelers plying on the roads and many have been seized by police However IGP Kashmir zone Vijay Kumar had said these steps were purely related to terror violence Seizing some bikes and shutting down of internet of some towers is purely related to terror violence It has nothing to do with visit of the Honble HM he tweeted on Thursday PTI SSB MIJ AQS AQS

Srinagar Sep 17 PTI Militants on Friday shot dead a policeman in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir officials said At about 605 pm terrorists fired at a police personnel identified as Banto Sharma Follower of Wanpoh and injured him they said The officials said Sharma was shifted to a hospital but succumbed to injuries The area has been cordoned off and a hunt launched to nab the attackers they said PTI SSB MIJ AQS AQS