Latest news with #Jammu
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- General
- South China Morning Post
India confirms loss of fighter jets in recent Pakistan conflict
India's military confirmed for the first time that it lost an unspecified number of fighter jets in clashes with Pakistan in May, while saying the four-day conflict never came close to the point of nuclear war. Advertisement 'What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down,' Anil Chauhan, chief of defence staff of the Indian Armed Forces, said in an interview with Bloomberg TV on Saturday, while attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. He called Pakistan's claims that it shot down six Indian warplanes 'absolutely incorrect', but declined to specify how many jets India lost. 'Why they were down, what mistakes were made – that are important,' Chauhan said when asked about the fighter jets. 'Numbers are not important,' he added. 'The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range,' Chauhan said. Indian army soldiers keep vigil near The Line of Control between Pakistan and India, in the Poonch sector of India's Jammu region, on May 20. Photo: AFP The comments are the most direct yet from an Indian government or military official on the fate of the country's fighter jets during the conflict with Pakistan that erupted on May 7.
The Print
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
Public Safety Act cases surge again post Pahalgam, 23 held in Valley based on ‘credible intel'
'These arrests have been made based on information and evidence available with the force. They have been lodged in different jails of the UT of J&K,' one of the sources said. All those booked are from the Kashmir Valley, with police records showing that the maximum number are residents of Srinagar. New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir Police have booked 23 alleged overground workers under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) in the past month in the aftermath of the deadly Pahalgam attack in Kashmir, sources in the security establishment told ThePrint. According to the source, the detentions are part of a larger crackdown in the Valley after the terror attack as intelligence inputs suggest sleeper cells of various terror outfits have been reactivated, and are relaying information on troop movements to handlers in Pakistan, bringing the threat of sporadic terror attacks back into focus. However, authorities have yet to make any breakthrough in identifying the perpetrators. Arrests under the PSA had decreased over the past year as a sense of normalcy returned to the Valley. However, they have surged again, with a large number of people booked under the law in just one month. The PSA allows the police to detain any person without trial for up to two years, subject to a review every six months, 'in the case of persons acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the State'. Moreover, 'any person acting in any manner prejudicial to the maintenance of public order' can be held in administrative detention for up to one year. Divisional commissioners or district magistrates can issue detention orders under the PSA. Moreover, the authority detaining an individual under the Act need not disclose any details about the detention. Several people were booked under the PSA in 2019 after the abrogation of Article 370, putting pressure on local prisons. Many warrants lay unexecuted as the jails were running at full capacity. That time, the arrests under the Act targeted those who participated in stone-hurling demonstrations and others deemed to be carrying out activities detrimental to national security. Also Read: Orders for Pahalgam satellite images from US firm peaked two months before attack 'Only people with confirmed involvement being detained' A senior J&K Police officer said the key difference between earlier operations and the current approach is that only individuals with confirmed involvement are being held under the PSA, unlike in the past when mass detentions were common. 'Unless and until we have confirmed input of someone's involvement, they are not being booked under the PSA or arrested. If 10 people are booked under the PSA, 100 are being released the same day after questioning to ensure that no innocent person suffers,' the officer said. The officer added that the police are 'mindful of the need to take the public along in the fight against terror and that no innocent person should be harmed in a way that leads to alienation'. The officer also told ThePrint that they are on high alert and a close watch is being kept on overground workers, both active and dormant, who have operated in Kashmir in recent years. To counter this threat, the State Investigation Agency has been conducting raids across districts in the Valley, especially South Kashmir, and has rounded up over 200 individuals for questioning. 'These are people we suspect of providing logistical support to infiltrators and foreign terrorists already present in the Valley. It has been noticed that their movement has increased considerably in the past month,' the officer said. (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also Read: J&K police, security forces on alert as Pakistan-linked sleeper cells rear head in Kashmir
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
CRPF jawan sacked for marrying Pakistani woman moves J&K High Court
SRINAGAR: A CRPF jawan from Jammu and Kashmir, Munir Ahmed, who was dismissed from service for marrying a Pakistani woman, has moved the Jammu and Kashmir High Court to challenge his termination. Ahmed, through his counsel Ankur Sharma, a BJP leader, filed a petition in the Jammu wing of the High Court contesting his sacking. Justice Javed Iqbal Wani has issued notices to the respondents – Director General CRPF, and Commandants of the CRPF's 41 Battalion at Bangrasia, Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh), and 72 Battalion at Sodra, Sunderbani in J&K's Rajouri district. The court has directed the respondents to file their objections on or before the next date of hearing, which has been scheduled for June 30. Munir Ahmed, who joined CRPF in 2017 and has served in Chhattisgarh, Bihar, J&K and Madhya Pradesh, was dismissed from service on May 2 for marrying a Pakistani woman, Menal Khan, who is also his cousin. Ahmed maintains that he had informed the CRPF headquarters about his intention to marry a Pakistani national. 'My marriage with Pakistani national Menal Khan, who is also my cousin, was decided by our elders during my childhood. In 2022, I informed the CRPF officials of my intent to marry a Pakistani national (Menal Khan) and sought permission for marriage. Responding to a letter dated 24/01/2023 by CRPF in which some queries were raised, I submitted required documents on 18/10/2023. Again, on 05/11/2023, I sought clearance/NOC for marriage with Menal,' Munir told The New Indian Express.
Indian Express
3 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Dismissed for marrying Pakistani, CRPF constable approaches High Court: ‘Arbitrary, capricious and whimsical'
The Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court has issued notice to the Union of India and three other respondents after a former constable of the Central Reserve Police Force challenged his dismissal from the force on the ground that he had not informed his superior officers of his wedding with a Pakistan national. In his petition, former constable Munir Khan claims that his dismissal is 'arbitrary, capricious and whimsical' and that he had informed authorities 'time and again by following the procedure and rules since 2022'. The notice comes days after the former constable, Munir Khan, a resident of J&K's Poonch, moved court arguing that he had informed the force — not only the 72 Battalion stationed at Sodra, Sunderbani in Rajouri district but his last posting at the 41st Battalion of the CRPF at Bangrasia, Bhopal – that he had married his cousin, Menal Khan, on May 24 last year. Issuing notice to the respondents – which include the Director General of CRPF, and Commandants of CRPF's 41 Bn at Bangrasia, Bhopal (MP) and 72 Bn at Sodra, Sunderbani in Rajouri district (J&K) — Justice Javed Iqbal Wani gave them until the next hearing on June 30 to file objections to the writ petition. In an official order on May 2, the Commandant 41st Battalion of the CRPF at Bangrasia, Bhopal – where he is currently posted – said Munir Ahmed Khan was being dismissed 'with immediate effect' for having 'harbored a Pakistani National in India who was on a short-term visa and also married her which was not intimated to the concerned authorities, which is amounting to grave misconduct'. His action, the order said, was found to be detrimental to 'national security'. Munir Khan's dismissal came after his wife Menal was among Pakistan nationals to receive a 'Leave India' notice in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people – including a Nepal national but Munir had challenged his wife's deportation in court. Munir has denied the allegation of not having informed the force of his wedding, telling The Indian Express that intimated the CRPF of his marriage and that the latter had acknowledged it in a communication. In his petition, he claims to have first intimated the CRPF of his impending marriage in 2022, which was returned with some objections to which he responded in October 2023. On November 17, 2023, the Inspector General of CRPF 'vide communication dated November 17, 2023 communicated to the Special Director General of Police that the petitioner has submitted documents as required by the department and these appear to be sufficient for the purposes of intimation as per the provisions of the Central Civil Services (Conduct) Rule 21(3),' the petition said, adding that he had 'also asked for guidance in the matter for taking a final decision in the matter'. 'The DIG also vide communication dated December 12, 2023 informed the Inspector General (Adm) that the petitioner has done his duty to inform the department under the relevant rule and has submitted the relevant documents and the same have been sent to the office for necessary action/issuance of no objection certificate,' the petition said. When he did not hear back from the department, the petitioner once again forwarded a representation to CRPF's Commandant 72 Bn on March 8, 2024, 'seeking issuance of permission/no objection certificate to his marriage with a foreigner (Pakistani girl)'. On April 30, 2024, the Director General of CRPF 'certified that the petitioner has intimated the department well within the rules', the petition said, adding that this communication further said 'there is no mention of issuing any no objection certificate under the rules'. It was following this that allegedly Munir married Menal 'through online video conferencing' due to his father's ill-health on May 24 last year. The marriage was 'duly registered in both Pakistan and in India', and the petitioner had informed Commandant 72 Bn and IGP Jammu about it through representations in October and December, the petition said. After the petitioner was transferred to the CRPF's 41 Bn in Bhopal in March this year, he had informed his new commandant of his marriage and sought an interview with the Director General CRPF, the petition said, adding that Munir had also submitted details and documents of his marriage when asked for it. The petition then goes on to say that the former constable was terminated when he was on leave 'on account of a domestic problem', saying the action 'infringes upon the fundamental rights of the petitioner granted under Article 21 of the Constitution of India'. On charges of harbouring a foreign national, Munir said his wife had been on a 'visit visa' until February 28 this year and had applied for a Long-Term Visa on March 4, which was still pending. He also points out to his career record and his 'very good' performance during his performance reviews, adding that on account of his 'very impeccable integrity that the Members of Parliament have recommended the Union Minister of State for Home and Union Minister for External Affairs for the issuance of visa to his wife Menal Khan'.
Malay Mail
5 days ago
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Armed and automated: India and Pakistan turn to drones in strategic shift on border security
NEW DELHI, May 28 — A little after 8pm on May 8, red flares streaked through the night sky over the northern Indian city of Jammu as its air-defence systems opened fire on drones from neighbouring Pakistan. The Indian and Pakistani militaries have deployed high-end fighter jets, conventional missiles and artillery during decades of clashes, but the four days of fighting in May marked the first time New Delhi and Islamabad utilized unmanned aerial vehicles at scale against each other. The fighting halted after the US announced it brokered a ceasefire but the South Asian powers, which spent more than US$96 billion (RM405.1 billion) on defence last year, are now locked in a drones arms race, according to Reuters' interviews with 15 people, including security officials, industry executives and analysts in the two countries. Two of them said they expect increased use of UAVs by the nuclear-armed neighbours because small-scale drone attacks can strike targets without risking personnel or provoking uncontrollable escalation. India plans to invest heavily in local industry and could spend as much as US$470 million on UAVs over the next 12 to 24 months, roughly three times pre-conflict levels, said Smit Shah of Drone Federation India, which represents over 550 companies and regularly interacts with the government. The previously unreported forecast, which came as India this month approved roughly US$4.6 billion in emergency military procurement funds, was corroborated by two other industry executives. The Indian military plans to use some of that additional funding on combat and surveillance drones, according to two Indian officials familiar with the matter. Defence procurement in India tends to involve years of bureaucratic processes but officials are now calling drone makers in for trials and demonstrations at an unprecedented pace, said Vishal Saxena, a vice president at Indian UAV firm ideaForge Technology. The Pakistan Air Force, meanwhile, is pushing to acquire more UAVs as it seeks to avoid risking its high-end aircraft, said a Pakistani source familiar with the matter. Pakistan and India both deployed cutting-edge generation 4.5 fighter jets during the latest clashes but cash-strapped Islamabad only has about 20 high-end Chinese-made J-10 fighters compared to the three dozen Rafales that Delhi can muster. Pakistan is likely to build on existing relationships to intensify collaboration with China and Turkey to advance domestic drone research and production capabilities, said Oishee Majumdar of defence intelligence firm Janes. Islamabad is relying on a collaboration between Pakistan's National Aerospace Science and Technology Park and Turkish defence contractor Baykar that locally assembles the YIHA-III drone, the Pakistani source said, adding a unit could be produced domestically in between two to three days. Pakistan's military declined to respond to Reuters' questions. The Indian defence ministry and Baykar did not return requests for comment. India and Pakistan 'appear to view drone strikes as a way to apply military pressure without immediately provoking large-scale escalation,' said King's College London political scientist Walter Ladwig III. 'UAVs allow leaders to demonstrate resolve, achieve visible effects, and manage domestic expectations — all without exposing expensive aircraft or pilots to danger,' he added. But such skirmishes are not entirely risk-free, and Ladwig noted that countries could also send UAVs to attack contested or densely populated areas where they might not previously have used manned platforms. Drone swarms and vintage guns The fighting in May, which was the fiercest in this century between the neighbours, came after an April 22 militant attack in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir that killed 26 people, mostly Indian tourists. Delhi blamed the killings on 'terrorists' backed by Islamabad, which denied the charge. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi vowed revenge and Delhi on May 7 launched air strikes on what it described as 'terrorist infrastructure' in Pakistan. The next night, Pakistan sent hordes of drones along a 1,700km front with India, with between 300 and 400 of them pushing in along 36 locations to probe Indian air defences, Indian officials have said. Pakistan depended on Turkish-origin YIHA-III and Asisguard Songar drones, as well as the Shahpar-II UAV produced domestically by the state-owned Global Industrial & Defence Solutions conglomerate, according to two Pakistani sources. But much of this drone deployment was cut down by Cold War-era Indian anti-aircraft guns that were rigged to modern military radar and communication networks developed by state-run Bharat Electronics according to two Indian officials. A Pakistan source denied that large numbers of its drones were shot down on May 8, but India did not appear to sustain significant damage from that drone raid. India's use of the anti-aircraft guns, which had not been designed for anti-drone-warfare, turned out to be surprisingly effective, said retired Indian Brig. Anshuman Narang, now an UAV expert at Delhi's Centre for Joint Warfare Studies. 'Ten times better than what I'd expected,' he said. India also sent Israeli HAROP, Polish WARMATE and domestically-produced UAVs into Pakistani airspace, according to one Indian and two Pakistan sources. Some of them were also used for precision attacks on what two Indian officials described as military and militant infrastructure. The two Pakistani security sources confirmed that India deployed a large number of the HAROPs - a long-range loitering munition drone manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries. Such UAVs, also known as suicide drones, stay over a target before crashing down and detonating on impact. Pakistan set up decoy radars in some areas to draw in the HAROPs, or waited for their flight time to come towards its end, so that they fell below 3,000 feet and could be shot down, a third Pakistani source said. Both sides claim to have notched victories in their use of UAVs. India successfully targeted infrastructure within Pakistan with minimal risk to personnel or major platforms, said KCL's Ladwig. For Pakistan's military, which claimed to have struck Indian defence facilities with UAVs, drone attacks allow it to signal action while drawing less international scrutiny than conventional methods, he noted. Cheap but with an Achilles heel Despite the loss of many drones, both sides are doubling down. 'We're talking about relatively cheap technology,' said Washington-based South Asia expert Michael Kugelman. 'And while UAVs don't have the shock and awe effect of missiles and fighter jets, they can still convey a sense of power and purpose for those that launch them.' Indian defence planners are likely to expand domestic development of loitering munitions UAVs, according to an Indian security source and Sameer Joshi of Indian UAV maker NewSpace, which is deepening its research and development on such drones. 'Their ability to loiter, evade detection, and strike with precision marked a shift toward high-value, low-cost warfare with mass produced drones,' said Joshi, whose firm supplies the Indian military. And firms like ideaForge, which has supplied over 2,000 UAVs to the Indian security forces, are also investing on enhancing the ability of its drones to be less vulnerable to electronic warfare, said Saxena. Another vulnerability that is harder to address is the Indian drone program's reliance on hard-to-replace components from China, an established military partner of Pakistan, four Indian drone makers and officials said. India continues to depend on China-made magnets and lithium for UAV batteries, said Drone Federation India's Shah. 'Weaponization of the supply chain is also an issue,' said ideaForge's Saxena on the possibility of Beijing shutting the tap on components in certain situations. For instance, Chinese restrictions on the sale of drones and components to Ukraine have weakened Kyiv's ability to produce critical combat drones, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies think-tank. A spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry said in response to Reuters' questions that Beijing has always implemented export controls on dual-use items in accordance with domestic laws and regulations as well as its international obligations. 'Diversification of supply chain is a medium to long term problem,' said Shah. 'You can't solve it in short term.' — Reuters
