Encounters and militancy-related violence have increased in Kashmir after the February 15 ceasefire agreement between Indian and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu Kashmir. Two encounters had taken place between militants and security forces from January 1 to February 15. However, in over a month since the ceasefire agreement was signed, the number of encounters has increased to at least eight. While three militants were killed in the two encounters before February 15, a total of 16 militants including two top commander of Al Badar Khwaja Gani and Jaish top commander Sajjad Afghani have been killed in the eight encounters post the ceasefire truce. Indian Army’s Northern Command chief Lt Gen Y K Joshi has said the border ceasefire agreement with Pakistan will be stri...

The NIA has alleged that PDP youth leader Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra is involved in "dirty" gunrunning, providing finance to Militant groups, and being "part of the larger conspiracy" hatched by Pakistan-based Militant outfits to make "inroads" into important institutions in Jammu and Kashmir to carry forward their secessionist agenda. According to a supplementary charge-sheet filed at a Jammu court recently in the terror funding case, which also involves a deputy superintendent of police, Davender Singh, the agency has listed Mr. Parra's activities since 2010 and alleged that he had formed a group of 20 to 25 youths who indulged in stone-pelting during protests at his behest. This was done by Mr. Parra to yield political mileage for himself from the People's Democratic Party (PDP), the ...