REGIONAL

An encounter has broken out between terrorists and security forces in the Keshwan area of Kishtwar district on Sunday. Officials said contact was established during a cordon-and-search operation, leading to an exchange of fire. Security forces have intensified the operation, and intermittent firing is currently underway. Additional reinforcements have been rushed to the area to prevent any escape routes, and the operation remains in progress at the time of reporting

Police in Udhampur claimed to have busted a brothel that was allegedly being run under the guise of a spa centre in the district. Officials said that acting on a tip-off, a police team raided the Blue Lotus Spa Centre, located in a private building in Barrian, Udhampur, on Friday night. During the raid, seven individuals, including four women, were arrested from the premises. According to a police spokesperson, initial investigations suggested that the spa was being used as a front for immoral activities. A case under relevant sections of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act has been registered at Udhampur Police Station. Police said further investigations are underway.

Jammu Kashmir Police, in coordination with the Food Safety Department, on Saturday seized 100 kilograms of rotten fish from a seller at Humhama Chowk, Srinagar. The fish, packed in two parcels, was being transported from Srinagar International Airport to the seller’s shop. In a statement as per news agency Kashmir News Corner, KNC, Police said, The accused, identified as Mehdi Hasan Lashkar, son of Attaullah Lashkar of Hawgul Dori, West Bengal, and currently residing at Safa Kadal Chowk, Srinagar, was arrested on the spot. An FIR (No. 263/2025) has been registered under relevant provisions of law at Police Station Budgam. Legal action under Sections 271, 272, and 275 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 has also been initiated. The District Administration has constituted Flying Squ...

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led government has, on Saturday, launched State Road Transport Corporation (SRTC) vehicles for fruit growers upon request, aiming to ease the transport crisis in the valley. Earlier, Horticulture Minister Javaid Ahmad Dar had said that the government was ready to offer SRTC truck services for ferrying apples. “Fruit growers from the Sopore mandi have requested SRTC trucks, and we have instructed the Transport Commissioner to dispatch the vehicles accordingly,” he stated. State Spokesperson of Jammu Kashmir National Conference, Imran Nabi Dar confirmed to The Kashmiriyat that government transportation has been facilitated for apple growers at Shopian and Sopore as of now and the government plans to extend this to the Kulgam district of south Kashmir. Th...

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today inaugurated the new Centre of Dr. Agarwal's Eye Hospital at Qamarwari, emphasizing the need for accessible and affordable eye care across Jammu Kashmir. Addressing the gathering, the LG urged hospitals and the medical fraternity to connect specialists with patients in rural and remote areas. He highlighted the role of modern technologies in transforming eye care over the past decade, enabling faster diagnoses, precise treatments, and wider access to healthcare services. “AI-powered systems now help doctors detect early signs of disease and eye problems. Hospitals like Dr. Agarwals must ensure that residents of J&K receive the same quality of care available in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai,” he said. The LG also spoke about the ...

The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has intensified monitoring of livestock entering the city through its Bypass toll post to streamline taxation and safeguard public health, officials said on Saturday. Fazil Bashir, a senior SMC official, said the toll post was set up under the Jammu and Kashmir Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, and all vehicles carrying livestock are required to stop for tax collection and inspection. “The tax rates are fixed at ₹400 per truck for poultry, ₹600 for sheep, and ₹1,000 for cattle such as cows and oxen. These measures are meant to regulate livestock movement while ensuring compliance with health and safety standards,” Bashir said. He added that while the toll post has been functional for years, some vehicles had recently attempted to bypass it. “To ad...

The Jammu and Kashmir Fisheries department has admitted that the Vishaw stream—an important tributary of the Jhelum that supplies over six million gallons of drinking water daily to Kulgam district—is under serious threat from unregulated and unscientific mining. In an affidavit submitted before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) under OA No. 1391 of 2024, the department acknowledged that unchecked pollution and excessive mining are endangering the stream’s aquatic biodiversity, particularly the trout and Schizothorax species. The department noted that mining activities—both legal and illegal—carried out during critical breeding and spawning seasons (October–December for trout and April–June for Schizothorax) have severely compromised water quality. The affidavit further stated tha...

Police have registered two separate cases under the NDPS Act after recovering contraband substances during patrolling and naka checking in Anantnag district. Police said a team from Police Station Anantnag apprehended one individual, identified as Mohammed. Altaf Nanda a resident of Nandapora Khanabal, during patrolling at Hanji Danter near the sericulture nursery. During his personal search, officials told The Kashmiriyat, they recovered around 110 grams of charas-like substance from his possession. Accordingly, a case under FIR No. 183/2025 U/S 8/20 NDPS Act has been registered and investigation initiated. In another case, the DSB Section of Anantnag Police arrested two persons on September 15, 2025, at Janglatmandi near Bilal Masjid. The accused have been identified as Moham...

A soldier was killed in an ongoing encounter between security forces and militants in the upper reaches of Doda district and adjoining Dudu Basantgarh area of Udhampur district, officials said on Saturday. The gunfight erupted late Friday night after security forces launched a cordon and search operation based on specific intelligence inputs about the presence of militants in the region. A joint team of Army, police, and paramilitary personnel moved into the forested terrain when militants hiding in the area opened fire, triggering a fierce exchange of gunfire. Officials said one soldier sustained critical injuries during the initial phase of the encounter and later succumbed. His identity is being withheld pending formal procedures. The sacrifice, officials noted, reflects the...

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday arrested a Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service (JKAS) officer while allegedly accepting a bribe in Srinagar. Officials said that the accused has been identified as Sargaraz Ahmad Bhat, currently posted as State Sales Tax Officer at the Silk Factory office in Solina, Srinagar. He was caught red-handed while demanding and accepting an amount of Rs 20,000. According to sources, the trap was laid following a complaint, and sleuths of the CBI moved swiftly to apprehend the officer inside his office premises. “The officer was taken into custody immediately after the transaction, and the bribe money was recovered from him,” an official said. The CBI has registered a formal case and further investigations are underway to ascertain w...