Sunday, December 21Latest news and updates from Kashmir

India becomes fifth country to develop rail-based missile system

India becomes fifth country to develop rail-based missile system

INDIA
India achieved a significant milestone in its strategic capabilities by successfully test-firing the Agni-Prime (Agni-P) missile from a rail-based mobile launcher. This development places India among a select group of nations, including Russia, the United States, China, and possibly North Korea, that possess the technology to launch long-range ballistic missiles from rail platforms. The test was conducted by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) in collaboration with India’s Strategic Forces Command (SFC). The Agni-Prime, an intermediate-range ballistic missile with a strike capability of up to 2,000 kilometers, was launched from a specially designed rail-based mobile launcher integrated with India’s extensive railway network. This mobility allows for flexibi...
31 kilos of contraband seized in Shopian; Accused absconding

31 kilos of contraband seized in Shopian; Accused absconding

REGIONAL
Police in Shopian recovered a large quantity of contraband substance during a raid at a residential house and adjoining cow shed in Dachoo Zainapora, officials said. Acting on reliable information, a police party from Police Station Zainapora, accompanied by the Executive Magistrate 1st Class, conducted a search operation at the residence of Showkat Ahmad Dar, son of late Abdul Satar Dar. During the raid, a charas-like substance weighing approximately 31.8 kilograms was seized from the premises. Police said that the accused, Showkat Ahmad Dar, is currently absconding. A case under FIR No. 76/2025 has been registered at Police Station Zainapora under relevant sections of the NDPS Act. “Efforts are being made to track down and apprehend the accused involved in the illegal trade,”...
Scheduled power shutdown in south Kashmir grid station due to VVIP movement

Scheduled power shutdown in south Kashmir grid station due to VVIP movement

REGIONAL
The Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has announced that the scheduled power shutdown at the Wanpoh Grid Station (190 MVA, 132/33 KV), which was planned for September 27, 2025, between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM, has been cancelled in view of VVIP movement. As a result, receiving stations that were expected to be affected, including Ashajipora, Janglatmandi, Brakpora, Malaknag, Dialgam, Mirbazar, Quimoh, Redwani, Harnag, Naibasti, Sarnal, Anchidora, Akura, Vessu, Qazigund, Chowgam, Kund, and Railway, will continue to function normally. KPDCL said a fresh date for the shutdown will be notified separately.
Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk booked under NSA, Shifted to Jodhpur jail

Climate Activist Sonam Wangchuk booked under NSA, Shifted to Jodhpur jail

INDIA
Renowned climate activist and education reformer Sonam Wangchuk was arrested on Friday under the stringent National Security Act (NSA) and later shifted to Jodhpur in Rajasthan, NDTV reported. The NSA allows preventive detention for extended periods without bail. His arrest comes just two days after violent protests in Leh by supporters of the Ladakh statehood movement left four people dead and nearly 90 injured. The agitation, led by local groups, has been demanding statehood, inclusion under the Sixth Schedule, and constitutional safeguards for Ladakh’s fragile environment. Wangchuk had begun a fast on September 10 to press for these demands but ended it on September 24, as violence erupted across the region. Following his arrest, authorities suspended internet services in Le...
Months after closure, 12 tourist destinations to reopen months after closure

Months after closure, 12 tourist destinations to reopen months after closure

REGIONAL
Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, on Friday announced the reopening of 12 tourist destinations across the region. The decision follows a comprehensive security review and discussions in the UHQ meeting. These sites had been temporarily closed after the Pahalgam terror attack on tourists on April 22, which prompted heightened security measures. Seven of the destinations are located in the Kashmir Division, while five fall under the Jammu Division. Among the notable sites reopening in Kashmir are Aru Valley, the Rafting Point in Yanner, Akkad Park, Padshahi Park in Bijbehara, Dara Shikoh Garden in Anantnag, Kaman Post, and Eco-Park Khadniyar in Baramulla. In Jammu, Dagan Top in Ramban, Dhaggar in Kathua, Chinkah in Reasi, Shiv Cave in Salal, and Padri in Doda will welcome visitors agai...
‘Dreams destroyed overnight’: Annual paddy harvest torched by unknown persons in Bandipora’s Shilvat

‘Dreams destroyed overnight’: Annual paddy harvest torched by unknown persons in Bandipora’s Shilvat

REGIONAL
Rayees Shah A wave of grief swept through Shilvat area of Sonawari in Bandipora after unknown persons allegedly set fire to heaps of harvested paddy during the intervening night. The incident, which occurred around  11 PM, left dozens of farmers shattered when they woke up for Fajr prayers to find their crops torched. Villagers told The Kashmiriyat the farmers had spent months nurturing their paddy fields and had only recently gathered the harvest into large piles for winnowing. The fire destroyed most of it within minutes. The harvested paddy had been collected from nearly 18 kanals of land, representing the backbone of several families’ survival. Five families were affected in total, including those of Bashir Ahmad Dar, Nisar Ahmad Dar, Ghulam Hassan Dar, and two others. ...
High Court orders action against cop for remarks against judiciary, Orders release of PSA detainee

High Court orders action against cop for remarks against judiciary, Orders release of PSA detainee

REGIONAL
High Court of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh has directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to take action against former Srinagar SSP Imtiyaz Hussain for remarks made in a dossier that, according to the court, demeaned the judiciary. Justice Moksha Khajuria Kazmi, while hearing a plea challenging the preventive detention of Riyaz Ahmed Channa, observed that Hussain’s language in the dossier was “not only objectionable but highly lamentable.” “The disrespectful language made use of by the officer in the dossier… is contemptuous to say the least. This type of practice cannot be allowed to be nurtured lest that may destabilize the entire democratic setup,” Justice Kazmi said in the order passed on September 22. The dossier, prepared to justify Channa’s detention under the Illicit Traff...
Sonam Wangchuk arrested by police in Leh

Sonam Wangchuk arrested by police in Leh

REGIONAL
Environmental activist and founder of SECMOL (Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh), Sonam Wangchuk, was arrested by Leh police in connection with the violence that erupted in Leh on September 24. A day earlier, the central government had revoked the FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) license of his NGO, restricting its ability to receive foreign funding. The unrest in Ladakh turned violent, leaving at least four people dead and more than 90 injured. Protesters set fire to BJP offices and police vehicles, escalating tensions in the region. The protests, led by Wangchuk in coordination with the Leh Apex Body and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, were demanding full statehood for Ladakh and inclusion of the region under the Sixth Schedule of the Indian Constit...
Two injured as Thar collides with SSB bus in Srinagar

Two injured as Thar collides with SSB bus in Srinagar

REGIONAL
Two persons were injured in a road accident on Friday morning at Baghat Chowk area of Central Kashmir's Srinagar district. An official told news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC, One speedy Thar collided with SSB bus resulting in injuries to two persons travelling in the Thar. Both the injured were given immediate medical attention, while police have taken cognizance of the incident. (KNC)
Kashmir witnesses sharp rise in cancer, Over 50,000 cases in seven years

Kashmir witnesses sharp rise in cancer, Over 50,000 cases in seven years

FEATURED
Jammu Kashmir has seen a steady increase in cancer cases post 2018, highlighting the growing need for specialized treatment facilities in the region. According to the Minister of Health and Medical Education, Jammu and Kashmir recorded 64,463 cancer cases between 2018 and 2024, with 50,551 cases from Kashmir and 13,912 from Jammu. Looking at earlier years, studies conducted at a tertiary care center in Srinagar show a gradual increase in cancer incidence between 2012 and 2014, particularly among women, with breast cancer cases rising sharply nationwide during this period. From 2015 to 2018, the number of cancer patients in Kashmir was 1,371 over the four years. According to a study conducted at a tertiary care center in Srinagar, the number of cancer patients recorded annually was 2...