REGIONAL

  Shabir Khan Two militants were killed and an army trooper injured in an ongoing gunfight with security forces in Jammu Kashmir’s Kishtwar district on Thursday morning, officials said. The encounter began around 6:50 am during a joint search operation launched by troops of the Army’s 2 Para SF, 11 Rashtriya Rifles, 7th Assam Rifles, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) Kishtwar in the forested area between Shari and Mandral Dhok near Singhpora Chatroo. Officials said the militants opened fire as forces approached the suspected hideout, triggering a fierce exchange. “So far, two terrorists have been neutralized,” an official confirmed, adding that an army trooper sustained injuries during the operation and is being treated. The gunfight was still underway at the ti...

PDP President Mehbooba Mufti has raised alarm over the worsening state of print journalism in Kashmir, urging the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister to intervene and restore government advertisements, a vital source of revenue for local publications. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the former Chief Minister said, “Suspension of government advertisements vital for both small and leading publications has thrown print journalism into complete disarray across the Valley. It’s only further deepened the crisis in the local media ecosystem, depriving hundreds of families who rely on it for their livelihood. Request @CM_JnK to take cognisance of this issue.” Mehbooba’s appeal comes amid growing distress within Kashmir’s print media, which has seen a steady decline since the abrogation of Ar...

The Jammu Kashmir Hajj Committee has issued a revised schedule for chartered Hajj flights, which will now resume from May 25, 2025. The update follows an earlier notification issued on May 14. According to the new schedule, the departure dates for several batches of pilgrims have been changed: Pilgrims booked on flight SG-5107, originally scheduled for May 7, will now depart on May 25. Passengers on flight SG-5108, initially set for May 8, will be split into two groups departing on May 27 and May 28. Flights SG-5109 and SG-5110, which were scheduled for May 9 and May 10 respectively, have been moved to May 30. Passengers on flights SG-5111 and SG-5112, scheduled for May 11 and May 12, will now travel on May 31. An official from the Hajj Committee said that a separate no...

An encounter erupted between government forces and militants in the forested region of Singhpora Chatroo in Jammu Kashmir’s Kishtwar district early Thursday morning. According to officials, a joint team of the Army and police launched a cordon and search operation based on specific intelligence inputs. The operation focused on the forested area between Shari and Mandral Dhok. During the search, contact was made with the terrorists, and a gunfight ensued. Initial reports suggest that two to three terrorists are believed to be trapped in the area. As of the latest updates, the exchange of fire was ongoing. Further details are awaited.

Panic gripped passengers on IndiGo flight 6E2142 as the aircraft encountered severe turbulence caused by a hailstorm while approaching Srinagar. The impact damaged the plane’s nose cone and forced the pilot to declare an emergency. The flight, en route from Delhi to Srinagar with 227 passengers on board, landed safely at 6:30 PM. All passengers and crew were evacuated without injury, according to officials from the Airport Authority of India. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DJ6wqNvBNHf/?igsh=MWVoYmN4OGg1cWx1YQ== A video shared by a passenger showed hailstones pelting the fuselage mid-air, causing violent shaking and visible distress among those onboard. "The flight experienced bad weather, and the pilot immediately reported the emergency to Air Traffic Control at Srinagar. The a...

Jammu Kashmir is set to face intense heatwave conditions over the coming days, with temperatures expected to soar across the region, officials have warned. According to the latest weather forecast, the plains of Kashmir could witness temperatures climbing up to 34°C, potentially breaking several records for this time of year. The heatwave is predicted to persist for at least the next six days, with Thursday and Friday expected to be particularly severe. In the Kashmir Valley, areas such as Srinagar, Kupwara, Budgam, and Pulwama are forecasted to see temperatures between 33°C and 34°C, with Srinagar and Qazigund likely to experience the highest readings. Other districts including Kulgam, Shopian, Anantnag, Bandipora, and Baramulla may see temperatures exceeding 31-32°C. Meanwhile, ...

National Conference (NC) Working Committee held a meeting in Srinagar on Wednesday to review the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in the aftermath of the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and the escalation along the Line of Control. The meeting, chaired by NC president Dr Farooq Abdullah, took place at the party headquarters, Nawa-i-Subh. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the party’s vice president, was present at the session. The proceedings began with a two-minute silence in memory of those who lost their lives in the April 22 attack at Baisaran, Pahalgam. “JKNC Working Committee meeting was held at party headquarters in Nawa-i-Subh, Srinagar, under the chairmanship of president Dr Farooq Abdullah. Honourable CM Omar Abdullah (@OmarA...

A 16-year-old boy was injured in a scuffle that broke out between a group of boys near the main gate of SP College in Srinagar on Wednesday. Officials told the news agency JKNS that the boy was reportedly attacked with a knife during the altercation. He said, police from Kothibagh Police Station reached the spot immediately and shifted him to a nearby hospital for treatment. An official said that further investigation is underway and more details are awaited. —(JKNS)

The Government Medical College (GMC) Anantnag continues to operate without a functional radiation oncology setup, leaving hundreds of cancer patients in south Kashmir without access to critical treatment. Despite being established in 2019, the Department of Radiation Oncology remains severely under-equipped, with no radiotherapy machines, oxygen support, or proper infrastructure in place. Currently functioning out of a makeshift 10-bed ward on the second floor of a hospital block, the department lacks air conditioning and even a working elevator—posing major challenges for patients who often require intensive and continuous treatment. As a result, those needing radiotherapy are forced to travel daily to Srinagar's tertiary care hospitals, a physically and financially draining jour...

A growing sense of frustration is brewing among ruling legislators in Jammu Kashmir, many of whom privately admit they have little say in governance and are perceived by the public as powerless. Several legislators, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said they feel disempowered in the absence of full statehood and believe people know it very well. “Everyone knows we are powerless. There is nothing substantial we can do on the ground, and the public is very much aware of that reality,” said one legislator. He squarely blamed the People’s Democratic Party for the current political vacuum, claiming it was their alliance with the BJP that gave New Delhi the opportunity to systematically erode the political authority of J&K’s elected representatives. Another legislator echoed the...