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New Indian Express
12-08-2025
- New Indian Express
Pakistani intruder shot dead in Kathua; terror hideout busted in ops
SRINAGAR: BSF personnel shot dead a Pakistani intruder along the International Border (IB) in the Kathua district on Monday. A BSF spokesperson said the intruder was noticed in the early evening between Chandwan and Kothey border outposts in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua. 'A Pakistani national was observed crossing the International Border and approaching aggressively towards the border fence in Kathua,' he said. The spokesman said the BSF men warned the intruder, but he paid no heed. 'Sensing a threat, the BSF men fired on the intruder's legs. The injured person was captured and evacuated to the nearest Hospital, where he succumbed,' he said. The BSF is lodging a protest with the Pakistani Rangers over the incident. The intruder's identity and motive are being probed. Meanwhile, a joint anti-terror operation in the forest area of Dul Kishtwar to flush out two local Hizb militants, Riyaz Ahmad and Mudassar Hazari, continued for the second day. Sources said during the operation, security forces busted a terrorist hideout in a natural cave in the forest area. Further, a larger ongoing search operation in the Akhal forest area of Kulgam entered its 11th day. Forces suspect the presence of terrorists there.
Hindustan Times
12-08-2025
- Hindustan Times
Pak intruder killed after BSF opens fire along IB in Kathua
A Pakistani intruder was killed after being shot at by the BSF while attempting to sneak into this side from across the International Border (IB) in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said. A Pakistani intruder was killed after being shot at by the BSF while attempting to sneak into this side from across the International Border (IB) in Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, officials said. (PTI File) The Border Security Force (BSF) said they are lodging a protest with their Pakistani counterparts over the incident. The officials said BSF troops noticed some intruders trying to sneak into this side between Chandwan and Kothey border outposts in the Hiranagar sector around 4 pm and were challenged to stop. The intruders paid no heed to the repeated warnings, prompting the BSF personnel manning the forward posts to open fire, resulting in injuries to one of them, the officials said. The injured intruder was arrested and immediately shifted to a hospital for treatment, the officials said, adding he was later referred to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Vijaypur for specialised treatment but he succumbed to his injuries. The identity and the motive behind his abortive attempt to infiltrate into this side were matters of further investigation, the officials said. They said the body is likely to be repatriated to Pakistan. 'BSF troops observed suspicious movement wherein a Pak National was observed crossing the IB and approaching aggressively towards the border fence in district Kathua, Jammu. 'He was warned by alert troops but paid no heed. BSF troops sensing threat fired on his legs. Later on, he was taken into BSF custody. Protest being lodged with counterpart,' the border guarding force said in a statement here. Kishtwar encounter: Security forces scan jungles, fire UBGL grenades into cave Security forces continued to scan jungles of Kishtwar district for the second consecutive day on Monday to track down two terrorists, said officials. 'Army, which is leading the counter-terror operations in the dense jungles, fired grenades into a suspected hideout on Monday. The soldiers fired grenades with UBGL into a cavity on a steep slope,' said a police officer. The terrorists are believed to be hiding inside a cave on a cliff at Bhagna forest in Dool area, some 25 km from Kishtwar town, he added. The search operation in the forest area started early Sunday following intelligence input about the presence of two most wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists — Riyaz Ahmad and Mudassar Hazari — who are active in the district for the past eight years and carrying a reward of ₹10 lakh each. The hiding terrorists opened fire on the search parties at 6.30 am on Sunday and fled deep into the forest in the face of retaliation. The cordon and search operation was strengthened with the joining of more reinforcements from the army, including para commandos, police and CRPF, and deployment of drones. The police officer said, it appears that the two terrorists have hidden themselves inside the cave on a cliff.
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Business Standard
11-08-2025
- Business Standard
Security ops to kill terrorists enters second day in J&K's Kishtwar
Intermittent firing and deafening sounds of explosions rattled a forested area in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district as the operation to neutralise terrorists entered the second day on Monday, officials said. The terrorists are believed to be hiding inside a cave on a cliff at Bhagna forest in Dool area, some 25 km from Kishtwar town, the officials said. The search operation in the forest area started early Sunday following intelligence input about the presence of two most wanted Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists -- Riyaz Ahmad and Mudassar Hazari -- who are active in the district for the past eight years and carrying a reward of Rs 10 Lakh each. The hiding terrorists opened fire on the search parties at 6.30 am on Sunday and fled deep into the forest in the face of retaliation, the officials said, adding intermittent exchange of fire was reported two more times during the day. The cordon and search operation was strengthened with the joining of more reinforcements from the army, including para commandos, police and CRPF, and deployment of drones to ensure that the terrorists are not able to escape, the officials said. They said the firing from the terrorists was last reported near the cave, which is said to be very deep, Sunday evening with security forces suspecting that they had managed to take shelter inside. Several powerful blasts and intermittent gunfire were reported overnight, the officials said, adding the search operation is on and further details are awaited.
Indian Express
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
‘Our shield against exploding shells': Covid-time community bunker initiative saves lives in villages along LoC
Near the Line of Control in Shatpalla village of Tangdhar area, in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district, former Block Development Council chairman Riyaz Ahmad said many lives were saved thanks to bunkers constructed during the period of the pandemic. Karnah tehsil, of which Tangdhar is a part, saw intense shelling by Pakistan last week after India carried out Operation Sindoor in the early hours of May 7. But an initiative taken five years ago, to create community bunkers, has prevented injuries and loss of life. 'We were saved by these underground bunkers,' said Ahmad. 'In times like these, the bunkers are our safety, our shield, against the exploding shells.' One such community bunker is situated within Ahmad's premises. The 30×20-foot structure is secured by 12 inches of concrete designed to withstand artillery fire. Over the last five days, more than 100 residents of Shatpalla village — men, women and children — spent nights inside this underground bunker as the artillery shells rained down outside. The community bunker project was an initiative of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. Ahmad credits its execution to the then Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Karnah, Dr Bilal Mohiuddin Bhat, who is currently posted as Deputy Commissioner Srinagar. 'It was the beginning of Covid-19 pandemic. Work had stopped everywhere, but he (the SDM) ensured that this project is completed within seven months,' Ahmad said. 'Many people also came forward and voluntarily offered their land for these bunkers.' While the original idea was to build all the community bunkers within 3 km of the LoC, an official said it was later decided that because areas further from the LoC were also vulnerable, particularly to artillery shelling, bunkers were built there also. 'Authorities decided to have a meeting with the Army to assess the need for bunkers, and villages were divided into two groups — those vulnerable to small arms and those vulnerable to artillery fire,' said the official. 'The MHA had approved 60 bunkers for Karnah, but since the size of such bunkers was not possible because of terrain and the low availability of big chunks of land, 120 smaller bunkers were constructed at the same cost,' the official said. While constructing the bunkers, among the things taken into consideration were how much shelling they could withstand, how much time it would take for people in the neighbourhood to reach it, the need for proper ventilation, and the requirement of a door in a shadow area. Some people have also constructed their own underground bunkers on their premises. However, not many of them have been designed to sustain heavy artillery fire and are barely inhabitable for longer stays. This was one of the reasons why the demand for community bunkers arose. 'We want these bunkers to be constructed in every habitation, small or big,' said Tasveer Ahmad, a resident of Batapora. In Batapora, a cluster of houses were burnt down when an artillery shell fell on a vehicle parked outside. On Tuesday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also spoke about underground bunkers during his visit to Karnah. Abdullah also inspected an underground bunker. 'New bunkers have not been made for many years,' he said at Karnah. 'The people have also demanded individual bunkers. We will do whatever we have to do. We will develop a scheme and also talk to the Centre about it,' the CM said. Bashaarat Masood is a Special Correspondent with The Indian Express. He has been covering Jammu and Kashmir, especially the conflict-ridden Kashmir valley, for two decades. Bashaarat joined The Indian Express after completing his Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism from the University in Kashmir. He has been writing on politics, conflict and development. Bashaarat was awarded with the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards in 2012 for his stories on the Pathribal fake encounter. ... Read More
