REGIONAL

Lambasting the government claims over normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir, the former chief minister and Vice President of the National Conference, Omar Abdullah on Friday said that flight operations and tourism cannot be considered "normalcy". He also said that if the situation is peaceful, the government should conduct polls at the earliest or else should accept that the situation is deteriorating than 1996. Interacting with a media person on the sidelines of a worker's meeting and NCs medical center inauguration in Jammu, Omar said that earlier the government claimed that Articles 35-A and 370 is the sole reason for militancy and separatism in Kashmir and both will end after repealing of Article 35-A and 370. “However, the reality is in front of us and the situation in Kashmir is not...

Locals found a decomposed dead body in the woods of Sarbal here of Sonmarg resort in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. A police team from Sonmarg Police Station rushed to the spot and took custody of the decomposed body of a male. A police official told news agency Kashmir News Trust that the body has been sent for a postmortem. Police have started proceedings under section 174 CrPc in this regard, he added

One militant was killed as the army foiled an infiltration bid at Tangdar sector along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara on Friday. Official source told the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that militants were trying to infiltrate along LoC and were intercepted by the troops. "One militant was killed amid on going operation," they said, adding that additional reinforcement has reached the spot and searches were underway—(KNO)

Police station Kothibagh Srinagar was gutted in a midnight blaze, due to the wooden nature of structures on the first floor, prima facie the fire seems accidental, officials said. Srinagar Police officials in a tweet said that around midnight, a fire incident took place on the first floor of the Kothibagh PS building. Due to the wooden nature of structures on the first floor, the fire spread to some rooms. The tweet further stated that “the fire was controlled within few hours by efforts of the fire department. Prima facie the fire seems accidental.” Moreover, “As the fire didn't spread to the ground floor, all the Police station records and articles are intact. The damage took place to SP, SDPO chambers, allied offices and barracks on the first floor.”

The rescue team recovered body of a man from tunnel at Khoni Nallah in Ramban district which collapsed on Thursday night, while search for other missing persons continues. SSP Ramban Mohita Sharma confirmed to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) about the recovery of one body. At least ten persons got buried in the debris while three were rescued after an under-construction tunnel at Khoni Nallah on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in Ramban district collapsed on Thursday night during an audit. “One body was recovered today by the rescue team from debris after an hours—long joint rescue operation launched immediately by police and the Army", official said. "Several machines and vehicles parked on the front side of the tunnel suffered damage", another official said. Th...

A village-level worker (VLW) of RDD was arrested with over 10 kilograms of heroin worth crores of rupees in Uri area of north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, police said on Friday. A senior police officer told GNS that during routine checking by a joint team of Police and army on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway, narcotics weighing 10.4 kilograms were recovered from a vehicle and one person identified as Mohammad Zahid Geelani of Basgran Uri was arrested. Zahid works as VLW in RDD and is posted at BDO office Paranpeelan, the officer said. He said that police has registered a case and investigations are underway. Preliminary investigations, he said, suggested that the recovered narcotics were heroin and it’s worth crores of rupees. (GNS)

Hoteliers and restaurant owners of Cheniweder Srigufwara area of South Kashmir's Anantnag district on Wednesday alleged that tourists are not being allowed to use Bijbehara-Langanbal route in Anantnag t to reach Pahalgam, incurring economic losses to them. Hoteliers and restaurant owners while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) said that due to unknown reasons, tourists are being prevented from moving through the Bijbehara-Langanbal route for the past two months. "We have spent lacs of rupees to start restaurants and hotels on the route keeping in view tourists movement through apple valley Srigufwara," they said. Hundreds of youth were earning their livelihood while setting their stalls and selling several items on the route but now their families are getting affe...

Police on Thursday said they have arrested two drug peddlers from a checkpoint established at Ashaibagh bridge Nigeen area of Srinagar, officials said. Police spokesperson as per Kashmir Bulletin--(KB), said that while continuing its efforts to eradicate the menace of drugs from the society, Police in Srinagar have arrested 02 drug peddlers besides, seized the vehicle used in the commission of crime. “A police party from Police Station Nigeen at a checkpoint established at Ashaibagh bridge Nigeen intercepted a vehicle (Scorpio) bearing registration number HR29Z-3434 with two persons on board,” they said. As per police, “they have been identified as Parvaiz Qayoom Malla son of Abdul Qayoom Malla, Owais Majeed Khan son of Ab Majeed Khan both residents of Jawbrara Awantipora.” “On...

One person died during a road accident in the Bonigam area of south Kashmir's Kulgam district. Locals told The Kashmiriyat that on Thursday a man identified as Mehraj Ahmad Shah son of Ghulam Nabi Shah, a resident of Yarhole Babapora, was hit by a Tavera Vehicle bearing registration number JK03C-7707 in the Bonigam area of Kulgam district of south Kashmir along Jammu Srinagar highway, causing serious injuries to the man. Locals immediately rushed him to Qazigund hospital where doctors declared him brought dead upon his arrival at the hospital. The officials said that he was an employee at the Jal Shakti department and was posted as a dailywager.    

Meer Ifran A 20-year-old youth has gone missing from his residence in the Taengwani of Keegam area in the Shopian district of south Kashmir. Speaking to The Kashmiriyat, the family of the missing youth said that on 17 May, Zahid Ahmed Chopan, son of Ghulam Mohammed Chopan left his home in Keegam area of Shopian and did not return back. "On 17 May morning, Zahid told us that he is going to college when he had not return home till late in the night, the family got worried and started looking for him. The search of the family to trace Zahid is still on," a family member said. The 20-year-old Zahid is pursuing B.sc Nursing from a college in Pulwama district of south Kashmir. The family has appealed to the DC Shopian, SP Shopian & SHO Shopian to trace Zahid and reunite him wi...