Jammu:

The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday night appointed four officers from the J&K Police Services (JKPS) as new Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) for Srinagar, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts, and as Superintendent of Police (SP) of Handwara, in accordance with approval from the Election Commission of India.

As per an order issued by the Principal Secretary Home, Chandrakar Bharti, seven police officials, including two IPS officers, have been transferred and given new assignments across three districts and one police district.

The Election Commission on Wednesday directed the transfer of senior police officials from Srinagar, Baramulla, Kupwara districts, and Handwara SP, instructing the administration to submit a panel of IPS officers for their replacement.

JKPS officer Imtiyaz Hussain Mir has been appointed as SSP Srinagar, Mohammad Zaid as SSP Baramulla, Ghulam Jeelani Wani as SSP Kupwara, and Ifroz Ahmad as SP Handwara, the order stated.

IPS officers Gurinderpal Singh and Shobhit Saksena have been reassigned from their roles as SSPs of Baramulla and Kupwara districts to Incharge Director Police Telecommunications and SSP CID (Headquarters) respectively. Dawood Ayoub, SP Handwara, has been appointed as SSP CID, headquaters, order added.

In a communique sent to the J&K Chief Secretary, the Commission approved the postings of Mohammad Zaid as SSP Baramulla, Ghulam Jeelani Wani as SSP Kupwara, Ifroz Ahmad as SP Handwara, and Imtiyaz Hussain Mir as SSP Srinagar.

On Wednesday, the Commission directed the Union Territory administration to submit a panel of IPS officers for the positions of SP and SSP in Srinagar, Baramulla, Handwara, and Kupwara by Thursday evening.

The Commission’s actions are seen as a measure to ensure a fair electoral process ahead of the Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Jammu:

Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday released sketches of four terrorists who were seen in ‘dhoks’ (mud-houses) in the higher reaches of Kathua district and announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakhs for credible information on them.

Kathua district witnessed a deadly ambush by terrorists on an army patrol in remote forest belt of Machedi on July 8, resulting in the deaths of five soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO).

Despite a massive search operation, terrorists affiliated with Kashmir Tigers, a shadow group of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, who have recently infiltrated into the country remain untraced.

In a post on X, police released sketches of four terrorists who were last seen in ‘dhoks’ of Malhar, Bani and Seojdhar forests in the upper reaches of the district.

“…A reward of 5 lakhs on each terrorist for an actionable information. Anyone with credible information of terrorists will also be suitably rewarded,” Kathua police said in its post.

Kathua Police releases sketches of 04 terrorists who were last seen in dhoks of Malhar , Bani & Seojdhar. A reward of 05lakhs on each terrorist for an actionable information. Anyone with credible information of terrorists will also be suitably rewarded.@JmuKmrPolice
@ZPHQJammupic.twitter.com/FsBG1qdZdt

— Kathua Police (@KathuaPolice) August 10, 2024

The ambush in Kathua was followed by another attack by a separate group of terrorists in Desa forest in Doda district on July 15, resulting in the killing of four army personnel including a captain.

Police in Doda district had also released the sketches and cash reward of Rs 5 lakh each on four terrorists involved in the attack as efforts are continuing to hunt them down.

Earlier on June 9, nine passengers, including seven pilgrims returning from Shiv Khori temple, were killed by terrorists in Reasi district. The terrorists involved in the attack are also at large and are on the run despite a cash reward on their heads. PTI TAS TAS SKY SKY

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Four Indian Army soldiers, including an officer, have been killed in action during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Monday.

A Jammu and Kashmir police personnel is also said to have been injured when the encounter broke out in the Desa area of the Doda district on Monday night. 

A joint operation by the Indian Army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police was launched based on specific information about the presence of terrorists.

“Contact with terrorists was established at about 9 pm in which heavy firefight ensued. Initial reports suggest injuries to our bravehearts,” the Army had posted on X on Monday night.

Op KOTHI – 2

Based on specific intelligence inputs, a joint operation by #IndianArmy and JKP was in progress in General area North of #Doda.

Contact with terrorists was established tonight at about 2100h in which heavy firefight ensued. Initial reports suggest injuries to our…

— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) July 15, 2024

At least five soldiers were critically injured in the encounter, officials had said.

Second Major Attack In Jammu Region

This was the second major encounter in the Jammu region after five soldiers were killed in action in Kathua last week.

The attack, in which five soldiers were also injured, was a coordinated strike on two trucks carrying at least 12 troops.

The terrorists targeted the trucks, which were around 500 metres apart, with grenades and, in worrying signs, used armor-piercing bullets (those tipped with hardened steel) and an M4 assault rifle.

Terrorist attacks, which started in Poonch and Rajouri districts, have now spread across Jammu, the region that was free from terrorism till a few years ago.

Over the last 32 months, more than 40 soldiers have been killed in action in the Jammu region. 

There are reports over 60 foreign terrorists – trained in jungle warfare – may be operating in the Jammu region alone, even as the shadow of fear has spread across all 10 districts of the province.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked the Army to deploy the full spectrum of its anti-terrorist capabilities to eliminate terrorism in the Jammu region.

Rajouri:

A woman allegedly killed her eight-day-old newborn daughter by leaving her in a nearly dry pond under direct sunlight, causing the baby to die from heat, hunger and thirst in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district, officials said on Monday.

Police received a report on Sunday about an infant’s body lying in a nearly dry pond in Kadma Prat village in Sunderbani tehsil and promptly sent a team to recover it, the officials said. During investigation, the victim’s mother, Sharifa Begum, accused the father, Mohammad Iqbal, of the crime, they said. However, it was found that he had left for Kashmir when the incident took place, the officials added.

This led investigators to focus on the mother, who was later detained for questioning, they said.

“She broke down during interrogation and confessed to the crime,” an official said.

According to the officials, Sharifa had a confrontation with Iqbal and to settle scores with him, she murdered the infant by leaving her alone in a dry pond under direct sunlight and later put the blame on him.

A case of murder and other offences have been registered against Sharifa at the Sunderbani police station and further investigations are going on, they said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar:

Senior IPS officer R R Swain took over as the Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

Mr Swain, a 1991-batch IPS officer, assumed the post upon the retirement of Dilbag Singh, who was the longest-serving DGP of Jammu and Kashmir.

He remained posted at various important and key positions in Jammu and Kashmir Police.

At a function held at the Police headquarters here, Mr Swain was received by senior officers. He also inspected a guard of honour.

Police Media Centre PHQ, J&K

Shri R.R Swain takes over as 17th DGP of Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar, October 31: Shri R.R Swain took over as 17th Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir at a function held at PHQ Srinagar, today afternoon.

Spl DG Crime J&K, Shri A.K… pic.twitter.com/uvgFzpDpAA

— J&K Police (@JmuKmrPolice) October 31, 2023

Top officers including special DG Crime A K Choudhary, ADGsP SJM Gillani, M K Sinha and Vijay Kumar were among those present, a police official said.

In November 2006, Swain was sent on central deputation where he held prestigious posts. In June 2020, he joined Jammu & Kashmir Police as head of the CID wing.

Immediately after taking over as DGP, Swain chaired a meeting which was attended by senior officers of the PHQ and other wings. The heads of departments of different wings and senior officers briefed the DGP about the working of their wings and offices. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Srinagar:

Only 10 local recruits have joined the terrorist ranks this year, said the Jammu and Kashmir Police today, adding that six of them have already been killed, while four others have the option to surrender or get killed.

This is the lowest ever number of locals joining militancy in Jammu and Kashmir since 1990 when Pakistan-backed militancy erupted in the region.

Last year, 110 Kashmiri youth joined terrorist groups. Most of them were killed by security forces during encounters.

“I’m so happy that youth of Kashmir has understood tricks and conspiracies of the enemy. From 110 youth who joined militancy last year, only 10 have joined militancy this year,” said Dilbag Singh, Director General of J&K police.

Mr Singh said out of 10 local terrorists, six have already been killed.

“I wish even these 10 had not gone to the other side. It would been so nice and we would have told the world that all the youth of J&K are on the side of peace,” said Mr Singh.

The police chief said that four other local men moving around with weapons may also be killed in coming days.

Mr Singh asked the four suspected terrorists to surrender, adding the doors of “ghar wapsi” are open for them.

The dramatic drop in recruitment of local men in terrorist ranks is the biggest achievement after three decades of fight against militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.

The last best security scenario Kashmir had witnessed was in 2013 when total number of terrorists had come down to a few dozen and casualties of civilians and security forces was at an all-time low.

But things changed after 2014 and recruitment of locals joining terrorist ranks was increasing by every year.

After Article 370 was scrapped in 2019, a massive crackdown was launched against separatists and their support structure.

While it demolished separatist structure, recruitment of locals as terrorists remained a challenge.

In 2019, 119 locals joined terrorism in Kashmir. In 2020 the number jumped to 167. It was 128 in 2021 and 110 in 2022.

Since 2019, number of security forces deployed in Jammu and Kashmir has surpassed all the previous records. It has ensured end of stone throwing and pro-separatist protests and shutdowns in the Valley.

Amid stringent security measures within the Valley, killing of several terrorist commanders in targeted attacks inside Pakistan appears to have delivered a huge blow to terrorist organizations and their capacity to recruit and arm local youth in the Valley.

Jammu:

Three over-ground workers (OGWs) of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit were detained under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Monday, police said.

Touseef-ul-Nabi, Zahoor-ul-Hassan and Reyaz Ahmad were taken into custody under the law that allows detention without charge or trial for up to two years in some cases on the recommendations of the police, they said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, Khalil Poswal said the three are “hardcore” OGWs and named in various cases registered in different police stations.

“Due to their continued engagement in anti-national activities and role in motivating local youths to join banned (terrorist) organisations, the imposition of the PSA was deemed necessary,” the officer said.

Khalil Poswal said the operation to detain the three was executed meticulously after obtaining PSA orders from the competent authority.

Several teams were formed and the three individuals were detained from different locations in Kishtwar and subsequently lodged in different jails of Jammu province, he said.

He said the police are pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to address the issue of anti-national elements.

“On one front, awareness programmes are being conducted throughout the district, while on the other strict actions will be taken against anti-national and anti-social elements to ensure the safety and well-being of the public,” the SSP said, adding, “There is no room for such activities in Kishtwar.” He asked such elements to shun their anti-national activities and return to mainstream society as failing to do so will result in “uncompromising consequences”.

“The general public is once again urged to play an active role in maintaining the security of Kishtwar by reporting any information related to anti-national, anti-social or drug-related activities in their vicinity to police,” the SSP said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)