Srinagar, April 25; A fierce gunfight raged between militants and government forces in Bagender Mohalla area of Bijbehara in South Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Thursday early morning.

Reports reaching GNS said that a joint team of Army’s 3RR, SOG Anantnag laid siege in Bejbhera after having credible inputs about presence of some militants in the area.

As the joint team of forces zeroed in the suspected spot the hiding militants fired upon the forces triggering an encounter.

A senior Police officer also confirmed to GNS that exchange of firing is on with the hiding militants.

As per the sources one to two militants are believed to be trapped.(GNS)

Srinagar, April 24 : Several JK Bank and government employees besides SPOs working with police department were spotted at a gathering by PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti at Town Hall Pulwama in the southern district on Wednesday.

Official sources told that several JK Bank employees posted at Shajimarg JK bank and at Zonal Office Pulwama attended the gathering by Mehbooba Mufti. Many SPOs and other employees of government departments, according to sources also attended the gathering.

Mehbooba also led a protest march of party activists in the southern Kashmir district against the suspension of cross-Line of Control (LoC) trade and ban on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI).

The protest march was taken out from Town Hall Pulwama to deputy commissioner’s office and Mehbooba demanded the rescinding of the order to suspend the cross-LoC trade. She also sought immediate release of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik from custody.

“Malik is not in good health. I want to tell the Government of India that if God forbid, his health worsens, then the situation here will deteriorate further which will be very difficult to control. Our fight is against militants, but you should not harass their families,” she told reporters.

She also sought revocation of ban on JeI and an end to the ban on movement of civilian traffic for two days a week on Jammu-Srinagar Highway, the only surface link connecting Kashmir Valley. (GNS)

Srinagar, April 24 : Police Wednesday said a large number of youth had been “quietly” weaned away from militancy but refused to reveal the exact numbers owing to “security concerns.”

“There are many youth who have either surrendered or were stopped from joining militancy. We can’t reveal the exact numbers for their safety and security,” police chief Dilbag Singh said while addressing a press conference here.  

He said Jammu and Kashmir had seen “positive trends” during 2018 vis-à-vis  “law and order situation.”  

“Recruitment of local youth dipped down and continues to be very low,” he said, adding 272 militants were killed and many apprehended.

“Large scale modules working on behalf of militants were also busted and those arrested remain in judicial custody,” he said. 

The Director General of Police  (DGP) said: “stone pelting and law and order engagements came down to a drastic level.”

“We admire youth for not disrupting law and order situation,” he said.

The police chief said security forces had caused a huge dent to militant groups Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad by “neutralizing top leadership.”

He said while Panchayat Elections were held successfully, there was no poll-related violence in the ongoing Parliamentary elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

General Officer Commanding (GOC) Lt Gen Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon said “no one is coming forward to take Jaish leadership in Kashmir” due to the “elimination of a large number of militants.”

“Recruitment level of local youth is down as pointed out by DGP,” he said. 

“And also no one knows about these boys who have surrendered,” he said, alluding to the police chief’s remarks.  

The GOC also appealed local youth not to come to encounter sites during or after gunfights.

He said after Lashkar had “killed a young boy after holding him hostage during Budgam encounter, Kashmiris must ask if this is jihad ya jahalat.” 

Inputs from GNS

KD NEWS SERVICE

SRINAGAR, Apr 24: Reiterating Congress Party’s resolve to defeat the political exploitation, corruption and favoritism in J&K, the J&K Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) President and Party Candidate G.A. Mir has said that people of J&K have been facing the brunt of betrayal, misleading politics on the part of PDP BJP and others.

Mir also said that Anantnag has voted against the opportunist politics in the first phase appealing the people of Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama to follow suit.

Addressing various public meetings in Manzgam, Nadimarg  and Kulgam in Kulgam District today, Mir who is also Party Candidate from South Kashmir emphasized the people to  support Congress Party  in its endeavor to put an  end to the emotional blackmailing and political exploitation on the Part of PDP and other opportunist Parties, which have equally betrayed people, from time to time, for electoral gains.

JKPCC President was accompanied by Shahnawaz Chowdhary, Surinder Singh Channi, Indu Pawar, Udhay Chib, Anayatullah Rather and others.

He said the State of Jammu and Kashmir was passing through a crucial phase due to the surrender of PDP before BJP RSS after securing votes from people especially the south Kashmir, who feel betrayed and cheated after 2014 elections. People had voted for a particular cause in these elections, but their trust was betrayed by PDP by aligning with the communal forces for the sake of power.

“I want to remind you about the promises made to you by PDP during the 2014 Assembly Elections, what they promised to you,” Mir told the people and said this party (PDP) blackmailed you emotionally and misled you oversensitive issue of article 370 pledging to keep BJP out power, bringing back the power projects, besides repealing AFSPA and what not, what happened after the elections was known to everybody.

“I am confident that people would come out in Phase II and Phase IIIrd in large number and cast their vote to ensure victory of Congress Party, for the fact, it is the Congress Party alone which stands guarantee to integrity, special status of the State and dignity of people in all the three regions,” Mir said.

He said South Kashmir has bled enough due to the wrong policies of PDP and its old friend BJP, there was a huge disillusionment among the people because of violence and bloodshed, people need to understand that the PDP, which was responsible for the damages is again trying to woo the voters by  running papers horses only, the matter of the fact is, PDP cannot do anything, this party which has sacrificed its core agenda for power has against started misleading people over sensitive issues like safeguarding special status of the J&K, which is beyond its reach, Mir said.

Congress Party alone can safeguard special status of the state and will do everything to defeat the communal agenda of BJP RSS, besides exploitative politics of other political parties in J&K, Mir added.

“Reiterated Congress Party’s commitment to further strengthen special status granted to J&K, won’t allow BJP RSS even to touch it,” Mir said.

He further said PDP during its three and half year rule used the Govt machinery to benefit blue-eyed persons and relatives in respect of government Job, employment in JK Bank, allotment of big contracts etc and preferred favouritism over transparency and merit, resulting in the unemployment has risen considerably which was the main cause of  youth  getting isolated, Mir assured that Congress Party  will work to create employment opportunities  to contain the unemployment menace in the State, Mir said

On this occasion Senior PDP Leader Ch. Mehar Noor joined Congress party and vowed to strengthen Congress Party further in his area.

Those who addressed included Shahnawaz Ch, Surinder Singh Channi, Anayatullah Rather, Indu Pawar, Udhay Chibb, Aijaz Mehar, Dr Ayoub, Farooq Ahmad Bhat, Ab. Rashid Lone, Pir Nizam U Din, Zameer Ahmad Mir and others.