Gunfight in Kulgam day after Pahalgam attack, TRF terrorist trapped
A top commander of The Resistance Front (TRF) was trapped during a gunfight that broke out between terrorists and security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam on Wednesday. The encounter came a day after 26 people were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, which was claimed by the TRF, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba.The gunbattle is going on in the Tangmarg area of the south Kashmir district.advertisementEarlier today, the Indian Army foiled an infiltration attempt by two terrorists and gunned them down in Baramulla following a heavy exchange of fire. Security forces recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition as well as Pakistani currency after the encounter.
On Tuesday afternoon, five to six terrorists opened fire on a group of tourists in the Baisaran meadow, which is around 5 kms from Pahalgam. The area is accessible only by foot or by horseback. The Pahalgam carnage was one of the deadliest civilian attacks in the Kashmir Valley in recent years.Eyewitnesses said the terrorists emerged from the surrounding pine forests and fired at people picnicking, riding ponies, or eating at food stalls. Most of the victims were tourists, including two foreigners from the UAE and Nepal, and two locals.advertisementPrime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Saudi Arabia when the attack occurred, cut short his visit and held a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting in Delhi to review Jammu and Kashmir's security situation.Union Home Minister Amit Shah landed in Srinagar within hours of the terror attack and held a high-level security review with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police. He also visited the attack site in Pahalgam and met with the families of the victims and survivors.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah called the attack "much larger than anything we've seen directed at civilians in recent years".Several top leaders have strongly condemned the attack, expressing their grief and solidarity with the victims and their families. Security forces have intensified their search operations in the region, aiming to track down the perpetrators.Must Watch
IN THIS STORY#Jammu and Kashmir
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
36 minutes ago
- Deccan Herald
Elusive global unity against terrorism
The 'Operation Sindoor' has shown us how deeply fragmented the fight against terror has become. There is a widely held conviction among all major powers that Pakistan is indeed harbouring terrorists and terror groups on its soil and using them as strategic assets against India, just as it had once used the earlier avatar of Taliban. They do not need more convincing. However, while there was widespread condemnation of the terror attack in Pahalgam, no country has called out Pakistan or even asked it to cooperate with apprehending the perpetrators. This is where facts diverge from reality. Before 'Operation Sindoor' was launched, all that the European Union (EU) did was to call the 'rising tensions between India and Pakistan' 'alarming' and advise India that 'escalation helps no one.' It was obvious that rather than taking a stand of zero tolerance to the menace, the EU continued to see terror attacks through a politically frosted glass – the frost that set in due to India's stand on the Ukraine war. The EU, which was peeved over India's abstentions on the UN votes on Ukraine, saw this as an opportunity to pay back in the same coin. However, what they have conveniently forgotten is that when China aggressed our borders in Galwan, all the European Council President could say in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was: 'The relationship between the EU and China is complex. We need to tackle different issues and support all the efforts to maintain a channel of dialogue to find peaceful solutions.' Thank you, EU, for this candid admission.. In fact, when an important member of the EU called India in February 2021 to express its indignation at India's stand in the UN Security Council on the Ukraine vote, India asked them politely to send us a copy of their statement issued when the Galwan clashes happened. There was silence at the other end, since it had issued none. Sometimes it is easy for the EU to forget that international relations did not start with the Ukraine war. The United States have, however, been more forthright on terrorism, though all their actions have to meet the touchstone of domestic acclaim in the US. President Donald Trump's administration has jettisoned the narrow internal focus of Joe Biden's administration on REMVE, or racially and ethnically motivated violent extremism. The recent post of FBI Director Kash Patel on X, calling out a 'Pakistani citizen' being extradited to the US for 'support to ISIS and attempting to commit acts of terrorism', signalled a robust anti-terror policy. The extradition of 26/11 plotter Tahawwur Rana from the US to India is a welcome development. However, the US has also found a sudden bonhomie with Pakistan, calling them 'a phenomenal partner' in combating terror. Consequently, while pursuing zero tolerance to terror, the US does not discriminate between whom it is willing to work with as long as its ends are met. This explains its embrace of former Al-Qaeda leader and current President of Syria, Al Shaara, and a separate deal with the Houthis for stopping attacks on American shipping. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), on the other hand, are now focusing narrowly on terror since the main ambition of most of its members, especially of the Gulf countries, is to break the shackles of their history of support to Islamic radicalism, spawning terrorists and terror groups around the world. Their desire for regional stability and integration with the 'outside' world has made them lukewarm to the Palestine issue and developments in Gaza, the West Bank and the Middle East. India should not expect much from them vis-a-vis Pakistan's terrorist misadventures either. The Saudi minister's shuttle diplomacy immediately after the Pahalgam attack was similar to the one it undertook after the Pulwama attack, ironically by the same minister, and yielded the same results – nothing. The litmus test will come next month when Pakistan takes over the presidency of the UN Security Council. We will see how the OIC countries in the Council – and there are five of them – treat the issue of terrorism and whether they will use Islamophobia to dilute the fight against terror. How the US and the UK react will be the other litmus test. the fight against terror in Africa has been orphaned. The Global Terrorism Index 2025 points out that the Sahel is now the epicentre of terrorism, accounting for over half of all terrorism deaths in the world. But the outside world has no time since it is not affecting them directly. It is a dismal commentary on our collective fight against terror. The inference is simple and, of course, has been self-evident for a long time. Each state will react as per its own geopolitical and other compulsions, especially when it affects it directly. This was how it was before 9/11 happened – the era of 'your terrorist' and 'my terrorist'. That era is returning. The fragmentation of this fight against terror is worse than ever before. In this scenario, Pakistan is not going to stop with the Pahalgam attack unless it knows that the price it will have to pay for sponsoring terrorism will be unacceptably high. It should be India's endeavour to ensure that this happens, if Pakistan is to be deterred. That is why it is even more necessary now for India to take the lead and sustain the high level of engagement to put forward our narrative and call out those responsible. This engagement should also extend to our neighbours. If sending multi-party delegations to neighbours proves to be sensitive, the foreign secretary can visit our neighbours, who are equally susceptible to being influenced by the Pakistani narrative, with Islamic radicals raising their heads again in some neighbouring countries. This will adversely impact our 'Neighbourhood First' policy. (The writer is a former Ambassador and Permanent Representative of India to the UN in New York. He chaired the UN Security Council's Counter-terrorism Committee.)
Mint
an hour ago
- Mint
Air India Plane Crash: Modi Govt forms high-level panel to probe Ahmedabad tragedy, report to be submitted in 3 months
Air India Plane Crash: Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government has set up a high-level committee to investigate the Air India plane crash that killed 241 people on board near Ahmedabad airport in Gujarat on 12 June. The Committee will examine the existing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and guidelines issued to prevent and handle such occurrences and suggest comprehensive guidelines for dealing with such instances in the future, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said on Friday night. All passengers – except one – on board the Air India flight bound for London Gatwick Airport that crashed shortly after take-off from Gujarat's Ahmedabad airport on 12 June afternoon died. There were 242 passengers and crew on board the plane, including 169 Indian nationals, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese nationals, and one Canadian. One passenger, Vishwashkumar Ramesh, a British national of Indian origin, miraculously survived the crash. The Committee will not be a substitute for other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations, but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future. 'The committee will have access to all records, including, among others, flight data, cockpit voice recorders, aircraft maintenance records, ATC Log and witness testimonies,' the Ministry said in the order. The committee will publish its report within three months. The government said that the panel will be headed by the home secretary and will include representatives from the state and central governments, not below the rank of joint secretary. Key Takeaways A high-level committee has been formed to investigate the Air India plane crash. The panel will analyze existing safety protocols and suggest improvements. The report is expected within three months, aiming to enhance aviation safety.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi Police HQ, LNJP Hospital denied fire safety clearance
The Delhi Fire Services (DFS) has denied fire safety certificate (FSC) renewals to two major public buildings this month — the Delhi Police Headquarters on Jai Singh Marg and Lok Nayak Hospital near Delhi Gate — citing violations of prescribed fire safety norms. This is the first time the Delhi Police HQ has been denied a fire No-Objection Certificate (NOC), while Lok Nayak's application has been turned down twice this year after inspections revealed multiple lapses. The denials come amid heightened scrutiny of fire preparedness in public institutions, following a spate of hospital and industrial fires earlier this year. As reported by Hindustan Times on May 22, the DFS had also rejected FSC renewals for Ambedkar Nagar Hospital, Bhagwan Mahavir Hospital, and two AIIMS blocks. Under the Delhi Fire Services Rules, 2010, public and commercial buildings must renew their fire clearance every three years. DFS officials said inspections were carried out meticulously, and notices with rectification advice were sent to both the police and hospital administrations. Once the deficiencies are addressed, fresh inspections can be requested in the coming days or months. Flagship police HQ fails fire audit The Delhi Police Headquarters, a 17-storey twin-tower complex inaugurated in 2019 by Union home minister Amit Shah, is the force's first purpose-built headquarters after decades in rented buildings. Located on an 8-acre plot near Connaught Place, it houses the offices of the commissioner, special commissioners, control rooms, social media and surveillance units, and critical intelligence wings. In May, DFS officials, along with Delhi Police staff, carried out an inspection in response to a renewal request submitted on April 21. A detailed report dated June 5 flagged at least five major deficiencies, most notably the replacement of mandated fire check doors on the 17th floor with ordinary glass doors, and the removal of door closers — a combination that compromised the lift lobby's pressurization system. 'Fire check door has been replaced with normal glass door at the 17th floor and door closers also found removed… which make the pressurization ineffective,' the report noted. It also cited the absence of a reception at the lift lobby and non-functional smoke detectors at several locations, significantly weakening emergency preparedness. 'These lapses directly affect the containment of smoke and fire in an emergency,' said a senior DFS official. 'A high-rise like the police HQ must meet the highest standards — anything less is a risk to life and property.' Responding to the denial of fire safety clearance, a Delhi Police spokesperson said the issues raised were 'minor errors which are being rectified', and confirmed that corrective work was already underway. 'There's no permanent denial. It's only a report on what all needs to be fixed,' the officer added. Persistent lapses at Lok Nayak Hospital The Lok Nayak Hospital, one of the Capital's busiest government-run facilities, fared worse in fire inspections. It first applied for FSC renewal in March-April this year, but was denied in April due to non-compliance. A second application submitted in May was rejected on May 30, following another round of inspections that found persistent and, in some cases, worsening deficiencies. DFS officials said their inspection uncovered lapses across the casualty OPD, surgical block, ortho block, and new special ward — with some violations posing 'serious threats' to patient and staff safety. In the surgical block and casualty OPD, access roads needed for fire tender movement were either inadequately marked or obstructed by construction material. A staircase in the surgical block was found blocked by waste and debris — a major evacuation hazard in case of fire. Fire hoses and branches were missing from hydrant boxes, while on some floors, firefighting systems had been deactivated due to ongoing renovations. In the ortho block, access roads were obstructed by parked vehicles and encroachments. Overgrown trees further impeded movement, fire officials said. The inspection report also recorded non-functional fire detection and manual call point (MCP) systems, diesel pump engines not in auto mode, and missing fireman switches in hospital lifts — all essential components for early response in case of fire. In the new special ward, officials found missing or incomplete hydrant boxes and door closers. Several areas were undergoing civil work without adequate fire safety backup, the DFS noted. 'These are not just technicalities — these lapses could prove fatal in a real emergency,' said a senior fire official. 'Hospitals must remain operationally safe even during renovations. That's a basic regulatory expectation.' Repeated attempts to reach the Lok Nayak Hospital administration for a statement were unsuccessful. Calls and messages went unanswered. Institutional apathy or systemic lag? Fire safety experts and public health advocates say the spate of FSC denials reflects a deeper structural problem — lack of routine compliance and inadequate investment in fire infrastructure. 'Institutional apathy is a real issue,' said one former DFS chief, adding that while inspections are becoming more rigorous, many public buildings still treat fire audits as a formality. 'There's also a shortage of trained fire safety officers in many institutions, which leads to poor maintenance and reactive compliance.' A senior government official who oversees urban safety policy acknowledged that delays in budget approvals and lack of coordination between departments often slow down fire preparedness upgrades in public buildings. 'There's also the issue of legacy buildings that were constructed decades ago without modern fire planning,' the official said. 'Retrofitting them is time-consuming and expensive — but unavoidable.' The DFS, meanwhile, has begun increasing scrutiny of FSC applications, with more stringent inspections and cross-verification. Officials said they plan to re-inspect several hospitals and police buildings over the next few months and have issued advisories to all major government institutions. 'If even the Capital's most high-profile public buildings cannot maintain basic fire safety, that's a serious red flag,' said a fire safety consultant. 'This isn't just about paperwork — it's about whether public institutions can protect lives.'
