Jammu and Kashmir Timeline - 2005

January 1

A senior Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) cadre, identified as commander’ Abu Askari, is shot dead by the troops during an encounter at village Sarhuti in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

January 5

A fifty-four year-old terrorist, identified as Hussain Kohli alias Jabbar, an ‘area commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), and one of his associates are killed by the security force (SF) personnel at Thillu Bharneli in the Mahore area of Udhampur district.

In another incident, SF personnel shot dead the ‘district launching chief’ of the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Abu Assadullah alias Janbaaz, in an encounter at Batkote village in Kupwara district.

January 7

A Deputy Commandant of the Border Security Force (BSF), two soldiers, one police personnel and a civilian are killed and four persons sustain injuries when a two-member Fidayeen (suicide squad) attacked the Income Tax office in the capital Srinagar. While one of the terrorists was killed on January 7, the other was shot dead the next day.

An ‘area commander’ of the LeT, identified as Dilawar Ikramah, who was the most wanted terrorist in Mendhar, is shot dead along with his body-guard by the troops at Chak Banola in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

January 8

Khalid Chitrali, a ‘district commander’ of the HM is shot dead by the police during an encounter in the Mandi area of Poonch district.

January 10

Four separatist organisations jointly appeal to people to boycott the municipal elections being held for the first time in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) after 28 years.

January 11

SFs shot dead three terrorists of the Tehreek-ul-Jehad outfit, including ‘district commander’ Tariq Surfi alias TS, at Naika Majari in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

January 13

Two SF personnel, including a Major of the Rashtriya Rifles, are killed during a gun-battle with the terrorists at Wathora village in the Budgam district.

January 17

A Congress party candidate for the municipal elections of Ward No 2 of Baramulla district, Noor-ud-din Sherwani, is shot dead by unidentified terrorists close to his house when he was returning after performing his Isha prayers at the Jamia mosque.

January 18

Border Security Force (BSF) personnel foil an infiltration attempt by a group of terrorists on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Balnoi area of Mendhar sector in Poonch district killing five terrorists. In the first violation of the 14-month-old cease-fire along the LoC, Pakistani forces fire 16 mortar shells on Indian positions in Poonch sector wounding a girl.

January 19

In two separate operations, security forces’ kill six terrorists, four in the Bahi Nambal village of Rajouri district and two in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district.

January 21

While rejecting the Union Government’s move to have a fresh look on the issue of granting autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir, the moderate faction of All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) terms it as a futile exercise and said this was not a solution to the Kashmir issue.

January 24

India rejects as "baseless" Pakistan’s allegation that Indian troops had violated the truce along the LoC. "We investigated this allegation and the report was found to be baseless," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Navtej Sarna, told reporters in Delhi when asked about Islamabad’s charge.

January 26

A ‘commander’ of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islami (HuJI) outfit, identified as Fareed Ahmed alias Manzoor alias Khalid, is reported to have died during an encounter with the Army in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district.

January 28

On the eve of the phase-I of the municipal elections in Kashmir valley, a group of terrorists are reported to have shot dead Ghulam Rasool Dhobi, a candidate of the National Conference (NC), and injured another in the Pampore area of Pulwama district.

January 31

Four members of a family, including a woman and three children, are shot dead and two others sustain injuries during a terrorist attack on their house at village Nashla Bajarni in the Doda district.

February 1

At least 65 per cent voters are reported to have exercised their franchise for the Jammu Municipal Corporation elections held after a gap of nearly 27 years.

Elections to the 68-ward Srinagar Municipal Corporation were also held on the same day without a single incident of terrorist violence. District Election Officer, Shailendra Kumar, said that the turnout was around 20 percent.

February 4

A ‘district commander’ of the HM, identified as Abdul Aziz Khan alias Ali alias Babar, is killed during an encounter with the security forces’ at Reshi Bazaar in the Anantnag district.

February 6

During an encounter at Muhri Mohalla in the Surankote area of Poonch district, two LeT cadres, identified as Abu Qasim alias Mike 4 and Abu Tallah alias W3, an ‘area commander’, are killed.

In phase-III of the ongoing civic elections in Jammu and Kashmir, 56 per cent turnout was reported in Pulwama district and 34 per cent from Anantnag district.

February 8

Suspected terrorists kill a member of the Beerwah Municipal Committee, who had been recently elected unopposed on the ticket of the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

February 9

An elected member of the National Conference (NC) and would-be Mayor of Srinagar, Mohammad Maqbool Shah Khaksaar, is shot dead by the terrorists in the capital’s Jawahar Nagar area.

February 11

The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel kill four terrorists of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islami (HuJI) outfit during an encounter at village Tiranga in the Mahore area of Udhampur district.

February 16

Pakistan and India agree to start a bus service between Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir from April 7, 2005, with people from Kashmir, Pakistan and India to travel across the Line of Control (LoC) by an entry permit system. Foreign Minister Khurshid Kasuri announced this in Islamabad in a joint statement with his Indian counterpart Natwar Singh after talks between the two.

February 17

Due to threats by terrorist groups, three more newly elected Municipal Councilors are reported to have resigned, taking the number of Councilors who resigned to six.

February 18

Sheikh Abdul Aziz, an APHC leader, is arrested in Delhi along with fake currency worth Rupees 13 lakh.

February 21

Two HM terrorists, including ‘battalion commander’ Jubair Hussain alias Nadeem, are shot dead by the police at village Tamlad in the Kathua district.

February 24

Three police personnel, a woman employee of the Revenue Department and two terrorists are killed and four persons sustain injuries during a Fidayeen (suicide squad) attack at the Divisional Commissioner's office in the capital Srinagar.

February 25

An ‘area commander’ of the LeT, Jamaal Din alias Waleed, and his bodyguard are killed by the troops during an encounter at Jamlan Malla village in the Mahore area of Udhampur district.

March 2

A ‘deputy district commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment, identified as Aijaz Ahmed, is among two terrorists killed during an encounter with the SF personnel at village Ari in the Poonch district.

March 3

SF personnel recover 130 kg of RDX and a large quantity of explosive devices and ammunition from two terrorist hideouts in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district.

March 4

Four terrorists of the Jaish-e-Mohamed (JeM) outfit are killed during an encounter that ensued after SF personnel launched a cordon-and-search operation in the forest area of Tral in Pulwama district.

March 7

Six terrorists, including Nazir Kakkar, a ‘battalion commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, are killed during an operation by the SF personnel in the snow-clad Dooraswani forest area of Kupwara district.

March 10

A ‘district commander’ of the LeT, Mudasar alias Abu Hamza, is killed during an encounter with the SFs at Konibal in the Pampore area of Pulwama district.

March 11

Troops kill three HM terrorists, including ‘company commander’ Khursheed Ahmed Shah, during an encounter at Hablish in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district.

March 12

SF personnel kill HM 'divisional commander (Finance)' and 'launching chief' Farooq Ahmed War, along with his bodyguard, in a gun-battle in the Machhipora forest area of Kupwara district.

March 14

The HM ‘district commander’ for the Budgam-Tangmarg area, Mohammad Yusuf Sheikh, manages to escape from a cordoned locality in Tangmarg while killing a Major of the Army and a civilian.

LeT ‘district commander’, identified as Abu Umar, is killed by the troops during an operation at Phagla Nursery in the Surankote area of Poonch district.

March 16

Two civilians are killed and 29 persons, including two soldiers, sustain injuries during a grenade attack by a terrorist in the Rajouri town.

March 17

Suspected terrorists kill Fayaz Ahmed Mahjoo alias Bitta Bijli, a former ‘district commander’ of the Al-Jehad outfit, who had recently been elected as a member of the Baramulla Municipal Council.

Troops kill five terrorists during an encounter at Doninar and Sondbrari villages in the Verinag-Kokernag area of Anantnag district.

March 22

Asatullah alias Abu Umar, a ‘district commander’ of the LeT, Abu Talha alias M4, an ‘area commander’ of the TuM and Abu Mudassar, an ‘area commander’ of the LeT, are killed during an encounter with the troops at Chinar Mohalla in the Surankote area of Poonch district.

Ashiq Hussain Shah, a ‘company commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, is killed during a gun battle with the troops at Vail village in the Aeshmuqam area of Anantnag district.

March 24

A group of terrorists shot dead Mohammed Akram Bhat, elder brother of the Minister of State for Home, Abdul Rehman Veeri, in the Bijbehara town of Anantnag district.

March 26

A group of terrorists are reported to have killed the mother, wife and infant daughter of a surrendered militant, Mohammad Shabir Gujjar, in the Hassote village of Udhampur district.

March 27

A ‘divisional commander’ of the HM, identified as Ghulam Mohammed Malik alias Assad Malik alias Kamran, is reported to have died during an encounter with the SF personnel at Drushpura forest in the Kupwara district.

March 28

Two BSF personnel are killed and nine others were wounded when a BSF operational party was ambushed by the terrorists at village Chatyari in the Kalakote area of Rajouri district.

March 30

Two terrorists and a paramilitary soldier were killed when a group of two Fidayeen (suicide squad) terrorists attempted to storm a BSF post at Arampora in the Sopore town of Baramulla district.

Ali Mohammed alias Abu Burhan, an ‘area commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment is shot dead by police in the Barmandal area of Rajouri district.

March 30

Four terrorist groups - Al-Arifeen, Al-Nasreen, Farzandan-e-Millat and Save Kashmir Movement - warn the people against traveling by the April 7 inaugural Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus while describing it as a ‘coffin’.

March 31

Dead bodies of three civilians, abducted by terrorists on March 29, are recovered by the police from Sonabrari forest in Anantnag district.

April 1

Three terrorists, including Zakrullah Khan alias Faisal Khan Rehmani, a ‘district commander’ of the Al-Badr Mujahideen, are killed during an encounter with the security forces at Molchitragam in the Shopian area of Pulwama district.

April 3

Three terrorists, including two suspected JeM cadres, die and a civilian sustains injuries during an encounter with the security forces at Zahid Bagh Litter village in the Pulwama district.

April 5

Three terrorists of the Al-Badr Mujahideen, including ‘divisional commander’ Nayeem Majid and ‘deputy district commander’ Feroz Ahmed Mir, are killed during an encounter with the troops in the Shopian area of Pulwama district.

Two days before the commencement of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, terrorists detonate an IED on the route of the bus in the Pattan area of Baramulla district injuring seven civilians.

April 6

A day before the bus from Srinagar to Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir is to be flagged off, two Fidayeen (suicide squad) terrorists attack the Tourist Reception Centre which was reportedly accommodating 24 passengers. Both the terrorists were killed in the ensuing gun-battle and seven persons, including a police personnel, were injured. 45 persons, including the passengers, were subsequently evacuated to safety.

April 7

The trans-Line of Control (LoC) bus service between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad commences without any incident and passengers from both sides arrive safely in the two capitals. While Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, flagged off the bus from Srinagar, Sikandar Hayat Khan, the Prime Minister of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), did the same in Muzaffarabad.

April 8

Two cadres of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, including Zahoor Ahmed Bhat alias Abdul Islam, a ‘district commander’ and Sarfaraz Ahmed, a ‘tehsil commander’, are killed during an encounter with the SFs at Karewa Manloo village in the Shopian area of Pulwama district.

April 10

Two civilians are killed and 20 others sustain injuries when terrorists lobbed a hand grenade targeting a patrol party of the Rashtriya Rifles at Main Chowk in the Shopian town of Pulwama district.

April 12

While endorsing the pace of Confidence Building Measures between India and Pakistan, including the reopening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road, a faction of the separatist APHC, led by Mirwaiz Omar Farooq, announces that it would meet Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, during his forthcoming visit to New Delhi.

April 13

A Lashkar-e-Toiba ‘area commander’, identified as Abu Qasim, is killed by the troops during an encounter at Kasblari in the Mendhar area Poonch district.

April 14

Three HM cadres, including ‘company commander’ Mohammad Yusuf Gorsi alias Gazi, are killed by the SFs during an operation at Dangarpora in the Pulwama district.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee while accusing Pakistan of having "double standards" on terrorism says that the terrorist infrastructure in that country was still intact despite the thaw in bilateral ties. "Pakistan is having double standards on terrorism as on one side it is saying something else and on the other it is abetting terrorism in the name of religion in J and K," the Defence Minister said in Chandigarh.

April 15

The SFs are reported to have killed four terrorists during an operation at Kanir village in the Budgam district. While official sources claimed that they belonged to the LeT, unofficial reports identified the slain terrorists as members of the Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen (JuM).

April 16

Troops kill HM ‘divisional commander’ Shabir Bidoori and ‘district commander’ Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Dar during an encounter at Mirhama village in the Anantnag district.

April 17

During their talks in New Delhi, Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, commit themselves to increasing the frequency of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service and commencing the Munabao-Khokhrapar railway link by the end of December 2005. While the Prime Minister described the talks as "very positive, fruitful and forward-looking," Gen. Musharraf said progress had been made in the discussions during which all issues, including Jammu and Kashmir, came up.

Gen. Musharraf meets leaders of the separatist All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) at the Pakistan House in New Delhi on April 17-night. Both factions of the APHC, led by Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, met the President separately and reportedly apprised him of their views on the situation in J&K.

April 18

India and Pakistan while underlining that the peace process between the two countries was "now irreversible," agreed to open trade across the Line of Control (LoC) by allowing trucks between Srinagar and Muzaffarabad, open the trans-LoC Poonch-Rawalakot route and take steps for the meeting of divided families along the LoC. Condemning the attempts to disrupt the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service, the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, and the Pakistan President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, pledged in a joint statement that they "would not allow terrorism to impede the peace process."

April 19

Security forces kill two HM cadres, identified as Javed Ahmed Pir, a ‘divisional commander’ and Vikas Ahmed, during an encounter at Darpora Khas in the Kandi area of Kupwara district.

April 20

A young man and a woman die and at least 17 civilians sustain injuries during a grenade attack by the terrorists on SFs at Sopore in the Baramulla district.

April 21

The second trans-LoC Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service concludes without incident. While 38 passengers from Srinagar traveled to the other side of the LoC, the number of passengers coming from Muzaffarabad, capital of the PoK was 28, including 11 new passengers.

April 22

SF personnel are reported to have intercepted a group of infiltrators, killing four terrorists in the Uri sector of Baramulla district.

Two terrorists are killed when they were trying to infiltrate into Indian territory from the LoC at Sabra Gali in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

Five LeT cadres, including Abu Dujana, a ‘deputy divisional commander’, are killed by troops of the Rashtriya Rifles at Bakh-e-Hakar village in the Handwara area of Kupwara district.

April 25

The Delhi Police is reported to have shot dead two Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists near the Pragati Maidan area of the capital.

April 26

During a cordon-and-search operation in the Chokibal area of Kupwara district, the security forces are reported to have killed six terrorists.

Moosa Gujarati, an ‘area commander’ of the Hizb-e-Islami group, is hot dead by the police during an encounter at village Harni in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

April 27

The Army along with Border Security Force personnel kills four more terrorists in the ongoing cordon-and-search operation at Drangiyar forests in the Chokibal area of Kupwara district.

April 28

The Army foils an infiltration attempt on the LoC at village Balnoi in the Poonch district by killing four terrorists.

May 1

Chairman of the hard-line faction of the APHC, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, alleges in Srinagar that a conspiracy was being hatched to kill him.

The General Officer Commanding 16 Corps, Lt Gen Sudhir Sharma, discloses in Nagrota that despite a fall in the terrorism-related violence in J&K, nearly 2000 armed terrorists were still operating in the State.

May 2

Itiqullah Shah, nephew of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, who was wounded during a terrorist attack at Bijbehara in the Anantnag district a day earlier, succumbs to injuries at a hospital in the capital Srinagar. The Al-Nasireen outfit has reportedly claimed responsibility for the killing of Shah.

May 3

Mian Mohammad Ramzan, Chairman of the Municipal Committee of Pattan in Baramulla district, and both his security guards are killed by terrorists.

May 5

According to Daily Excelsior, in a major search operation, the troops have been fighting a freshly infiltrated group of 18 terrorists at Lawaypora village in the Bandipore area of Baramulla district since May 4. Latest reports said that at least 14 terrorists were still holed up.

Two girls are killed and 16 persons, mostly women, were wounded during a bomb blast in the house of a Village Defence Committee (VDC) member, Dhani Ram, at Lower Matta in the Reasi area of Udhampur district.

Two terrorists, including Abu Mussa Khan, a ‘district commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, are killed during an encounter with the police at village Chandyal in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

May 9

Three civilians are reported to have died as a group of terrorists opened fire on people coming out of a mosque after evening prayers at village Chakka in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district

May 11

At least two persons are killed and 50 others sustain injuries when terrorists triggered a car bomb explosion in the Jawahar Nagar area of capital Srinagar. Over a dozen vehicles and approximately 40 shops, bank branches and residential houses were damaged in the blast. The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Al-Nasireen and Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front have reportedly claimed responsibility for the blast in separate statements.

Three terrorists are killed during an encounter with troops of the JAK Rifles near Eagle Post in the Shamsbari forest area of Kupwara district.

May 12

Two women are killed and at least 60 persons, including 25 children, are wounded when terrorists lobbed a hand grenade targeting a patrol party of the BSF at the main entrance of the Tyndale Biscoe School in the Lalchowk area of Srinagar.

During an encounter at the Zalora forest area in Kupwara district, troops of the Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group shot dead two terrorists, including Shabir Ahmed Magray, a ‘district commander’ of the Hizb.

May 13

A civilian, Mohammad Sayeed Kakroo, and his son and daughter are killed during a bomb blast at Bijbehara town in the Anantnag district.

Two HM terrorists, Jamaal Din alias Saifullah, a ‘district commander’, and Ghulam Mohammed Bhat alias Gulfam, a ‘communication operator’, were shot dead by the troops in an encounter at Bujala in the Banihal area of Doda district.

May 14

Two unidentified terrorists killed four members of a family when they were returning from their daily work in the Kalakote area of Rajouri district.

May 15

A ‘battalion commander’ of the Hizb, identified as Mohammad Abbas Koka alias Abid alias Omar, is killed by the police in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district.

May 16

The Army foils an infiltration attempt on the Line of Control (LoC) in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district killing three terrorists of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islami.

In the Doda district, a group of terrorists shot dead two Special Police Officers, who were attached to a village headman and Congress party leader, Mohammed Iqbal Keen, and injured another at Thathri in the Kishtwar area.

May 17

Four civilians are abducted and later shot dead by a group of terrorists near the Dachhigam National Park of Harwan area outside the capital Srinagar.

Two persons are killed and at least 20 others sustain injuries when a group of unidentified terrorists lob a hand grenade targeting a remembrance ceremony at Shankarpora in the Bagh-e-Mehtab area of Srinagar.

May 20

Four Army personnel, including a Major, are reported to have died and five others sustained injuries during a gun-battle with a group of terrorists at village Jatyari in the Kalakote area of Rajouri district.

May 23

Troops of the Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operations Group shot dead two 'commanders' of the LeT, Dr Abu Farkan, reportedly a medical practitioner from Pakistan, and Abu Haider, also from Pakistan, during a search operation at Dhara Morha in the Surankote area of Poonch district.

A ‘section commander’ of the HM, Liaquat Ali (code Osama), is killed by the SFs during an encounter in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district.

During an interview to Daily Times, President Musharraf said he would prefer some kind of "international guarantees" for the implementation of any pact reached with India on the Kashmir issue.

May 25

The APHC faction headed by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq decides to travel on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus scheduled for June 2.

May 26

The police neutralise a training centre of the HM outfit killing five terrorists at Sui Patyala, about 32 kilometers from Gandoh, bordering Himachal Pradesh, in the Doda district.

During an encounter at Machan Koti nullah in Doda district, three terrorists, including Mohammed Shaffi, a ‘divisional commander’ of the LeT, and two Army personnel are killed.

The Union Government says that the travel of APHC leaders’ beyond PoK would be contrary to the understanding between the two countries.

The JKLF chairman, Mohammed Yasin Malik, announces in Srinagar his party's decision to accept the Pakistani invitation to visit that country by the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus on June 2.

May 28

Terrorists detonate an explosive-laden car on the Khanabal-Pahalgam road in Anantnag town of South Kashmir injuring 13 civilians and seven SF personnel.

In another incident, terrorists hurl a grenade towards a Border Security Force vehicle in the Dalgate area of Srinagar, injuring 20 civilians.

May 29

Syed Ali Shah Geelani, leader of the breakaway faction of APHC, rejects Pakistan’s invitation to visit that country and PoK by the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus on June 2, in protest against Islamabad’s "flexible stand" on the Kashmir issue. "We have decided against going to Pakistan and PoK in the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus on June 2. We are showing our resentment to the present policies of the Pakistan Government vis-à-vis Kashmir issue," Geelani told a press conference in Srinagar.

May 30

In Baramulla, the troops kill a HM ‘battalion commander’, Zahoor Ahmad Ganai alias Viky, during an encounter at Authroosa.

Ruling out a further division of India on religious lines, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh says in New Delhi that the Government is willing to consider "greater autonomy" for Jammu and Kashmir.

May 31

Five front ranking terrorists of different outfits, including two ‘district commanders’ and three ‘area commanders’, and one soldier are killed and another soldier sustained injuries during an encounter at Makhi forest in the Surankote area of Poonch district. Those killed were later identified as Omar Bhai of the HM and Haroon Zulfi of Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen, both ‘district commanders’, Abu Hassan alias 88 of the JeM, Aasid Jeelani of HM Pir Panjal Regiment and Abu Bhai of the LeT, all ‘area commanders’.

June 2

A group of terrorists are reported to have abducted four members of two families, including a police personnel posted with the Special Operations Group, from the New Thead area of Harwan on the outskirts of capital Srinagar and later beheaded them.

Three LeT terrorists, including Samma Pakistani, a ‘tehsil commander’, are shot dead by the troops during an encounter at Mahakund in the Gool area of Udhampur district.

June 3

A group of terrorists kill Mohammad Ashraf Bulla, a Councilor affiliated to the National Conference party, near Babademb in the Khanyar-Fatehkadal area of capital Srinagar.

June 5

Five JeM terrorists, including a ‘commander’ identified as Shah Ji and his body-guard Manhaz Ali, are killed during an anti-insurgency operation at Kalalkas Jamola in the Rajouri district.

June 6

Hizb-e-Islami ‘divisional commander’ Abu Maviya along with two Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, ‘district commander’ Abu Lareb and Pappu, are killed by the troops in an encounter at Naika Majari in Poonch district.

Three family members of a surrendered terrorist are killed by unidentified terrorists within five hours of his surrender in the Ramban area of Doda district.

June 7

Security forces raid a terrorist hideout and shot dead a Pakistani ‘divisional commander’ of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, identified as Abu Moosa, in Sumbal-Bandipore belt of north Kashmir.

June 8

A Jaish-e-Mohammed ‘commander’, identified as Zulfikar, and an Army Major are killed and two soldiers sustain injuries during an encounter at Katari Gala in the Rajouri district.

June 9

Security forces kill a group of six terrorists during an encounter at Kundian village in the Keran sector of Kupwara district. A soldier, Lance Naik Rajinder Singh, is also killed in the gun-battle.

June 11

A joint search party of the BSF and Army kill a 'company commander' of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Mohammad Ashraf Mir alias Majid, in an encounter at village Seer Jageer in the Pulwama district.

June 13

At least 13 civilians, including two schoolchildren, and three officers of the Central Reserve Police Force are killed and over a 100 people sustain injuries when an explosives-laden car blew up at a crowded marketplace in front of a Government school in the Pulwama township of south Kashmir.

The troops kill three HM terrorists, including Firdous Ahmed, an ‘area commander’, during an encounter at Sikri Top in the Marmat area of Doda district.

June 16

Three Special Police Officers are killed and two others are reported missing during a search operation at Barha Draman in the Budhal area of Rajouri district.

Two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen cadres, including Noor-ud-Din alias Furkan, a ‘section commander’, are shot dead by the troops in an encounter at Ramban in the Doda district.

The Jamaat-e-Islami, a constituent of the hard-line faction of the APHC, states that it has suspended pro-Pakistan leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and his three associates from its advisory council.

June 19

The troops kill Chand Babar alias Abdullah Qamar alias Golf Golf, ‘operational chief’ of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, during an encounter at Sirajpora in the Handwara area of Kupwara district.

Two Fidayeen terrorists and a civilian die and three police personnel sustain injuries when the latter repulsed a terrorist attack at Commando Group and Sub-Divisional Police Office in the Mendhar town of Poonch district.

June 20

The Centre rejects the All Parties Hurriyat Conference’s demand for inclusion in the India-Pakistan dialogue process but said the separatist alliance could give its suggestions for the resolution of the Kashmir issue. "There is no question of involving Hurriyat in the Indo-Pak talks," Union Minister of State for Home, Sriprakash Jaiswal, told reporters in Dehradun.

June 21

The Hizb-ul-Mujahideen rejects calls for a cease-fire in Jammu and Kashmir and instead told militants to prepare for Jehad. Syed Salahuddin, ‘supreme commander’ of the Hizb, also dismissed the ongoing peace process between India and Pakistan as "a waste of time."

June 22

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh has reportedly rejected the former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's assertion that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government had "mishandled" the visit of the APHC to PoK. Dr. Singh was responding to Vajpayee's charge (in a letter dated June 15) that "the peace process with Pakistan has taken [a disturbing turn]." In his reply, the Prime Minister said "it is our endeavour to take the composite dialogue between India and Pakistan forward while ensuring that India's vital interests are fully safeguarded." Dr. Singh's letter, dated June 20, was released by the Bharatiya Janata Party in New Delhi.

The Hurriyat Conference says it is awaiting a formal response from the Centre to its offer of holding an "unconditional" dialogue with Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh at a "date and venue" convenient to him.

June 24

Nine soldiers are killed and 21 others sustained injuries when their bus was blown up in an explosion caused by the terrorists on the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar.

India rejects the Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed's application to travel by the Muzaffarabad-Srinagar bus.

June 26

The troops kill three terrorists when they attempted to infiltrate from across the LoC in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district.

A ‘commander’ of the JKLF, Abdul Ahad Waza, reveals in Srinagar that the Pakistani Information Minister Sheikh Rashid’s Rawalpindi mansion was not only used as a guesthouse for Kashmiri recruits but also as an arms storage for the trainee militants in the 1987-92 period.

June 27

A HM ‘divisional commander’, identified as Showkat Ahmed alias Waris, is shot dead by the SFs in the house of a harbourer at Kundgawani in the Kishtwar town of Doda district.

June 28

Three front-ranking Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists and two Special Police Officers are killed in a gun-battle at Chakka near the Bhaderwah town in Doda district.

The Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee says in Washington that although there have been several positive developments in the relations with Pakistan over the last 18 months, including the November 2003 cease-fire holding and the composite dialogue entering the second round, it cannot be said for sure that the peace process is "entrenched".

July 3

Two Ministers and two legislators belonging to the Congress party had a narrow escape in an IED blast that damaged a culvert in the Sopore area of Baramulla district.

Troops of the Rashtriya Rifles and Anantnag Police kill three Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists during an encounter that ensued after a cordon-and-search operation was launched on the basis of disclosures made by a detained terrorist at Marhama in the Bijbehara area of Anantnag district.

July 6

The Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Public Health Engineering, Syed Bashir Ahmed, has a narrow escape when terrorists targeted him in an ambush near the Budshah Chowk area of capital Srinagar. The Minister escapes unhurt but three of his guards are wounded.

Two soldiers die and two others sustain injuries during a terrorist ambush on a patrol party in the Kalaroos area of Kupwara district.

Troops kill HM ‘district commander’ Ghulam Mohi-ud-din Dar alias Khadim during a raid on his hideout in the Saribal forest area of Baramulla district.

Abu Wahid bin Abdul Qadir Zahid, an ‘area commander’ of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, is shot dead by the Army at village Chhunga in the Poonch district.

July 7

Security forces disrupt a meeting of at least 12 Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists at Zaipora village in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district and kill three terrorists.

July 8

Four terrorists of the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM) and an equal number of Army personnel are killed and two soldiers sustain injuries as troops foil an infiltration attempt by the terrorists in the Balakote sector of Mendhar area in Poonch district.

Speaking in London, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rejects the Hurriyat Conference’s demand for early elections in J&K. However, Dr. Singh declared that the doors of the Government were always open for dialogue with any group willing to eschew violence.

July 9

Four Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists, including Jamal Bhai, 'chief operations commander' and Mullah Naseer, 'Deputy chief', are killed during an encounter with the SFs in Pulwama district.

July 10

Two LeT terrorists, including ‘area commander’ Mohammed Akbar alias Abu Rehan alias Alfa 4, are killed during an operation launched by the troops at Gambhir Mugalan in the Rajouri district.

A ‘section commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Mohammed Rafiq, is killed by the police near Bhatta in the Doda district.

Terrorist training camps in Pakistan have reportedly resumed functioning after a year-long hiatus and the old and new recruits are flocking to them notwithstanding the official ban, according to the Karachi-based Herald. Citing an example of the camps being reopened, the magazine in its cover story, said one of Pakistan’s oldest training camps at Mansehra in the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) is bustling with activity after a year-long closure, as old and new cadres converged on it to resume their training.

July 11

A ‘district commander’ of the JeM, Momin Khan of Pakistan occupied Kashmir, is killed along with his local associate Mohammad Iqbal Wani in an encounter with the SFs at village Chhatawach-Shopian in the Pulwama district.

Mohammed Hafiz Pir alias Saiful Islam alias Abu Kari, a ‘divisional commander’ of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, is shot dead by the SFs during an encounter at Ghodal in the Dashnan area of Doda district.

The External Affairs Minister, Natwar Singh, says in London that terrorist camps are still operating in Pakistan and New Delhi has photographic evidence to prove it.

July 12

Unearthing a terrorist plot to attack the capital’s Palam Air Force Station, the Delhi Police arrests a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorist and a Deputy Director of the J&K Government and recovered a large quantity of arms and ammunition.

July 13

Foiling an infiltration bid, troops manning the LoC kill three infiltrators in the Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district.

July 14

SFs recover bodies of seven infiltrators killed during a gun-battle in the Gurez sector of Baramulla district.

A ‘divisional commander’ of the Hizb, identified as Luqman, is killed along with two of his associates in an encounter with the SFs at Shogund village in Anantnag district.

July 16

Nine infiltrators are killed when they were confronted by the troops at Chotali-Samawali in the Uri sector of Baramulla district. Six-year old Naseema was also killed in the exchange of fire.

Troops kill four infiltrators affiliated with the Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen and Al-Barq outfits in the Keran sector of Kupwara district.

Inspector General of Police (Jammu range), Shesh Pal Vaid, says five terrorists were killed by troops in an encounter at Jogma Barroh in the Jammu district.

A 'battalion commander' of the Al Badr, Harron Rashid, is killed by the SFs at Bon-Watseer in the Handwara area of Kupwara district.

July 18

Three infiltrators are shot dead by the Army at Batali near the LoC in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district.

July 19

A group of terrorists, suspected LeT cadres, are reported to have killed six civilians at Dungi Bahak in the Mahore area of Udhampur district.

Troops of the 14 Sector Rashtriya Rifles foil another infiltration attempt in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district killing three terrorists, including Shamsher Khan, a ‘district commander’, and Abu Ali, an ‘area commander’, of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen.

A group of three terrorists reportedly abducted two brothers, Mohammad Shafi and Abdul Gani, both Village Defence Committee (VDC) members, from their house at village Ind in the Gool area of Udhampur district and later shot them dead in the adjacent village of Narla.

During a cordon-and-search operation at Ajar village in the Bandipore area of Baramulla district, SFs encountered a group of terrorists and in the resultant gunfire, three soldiers were killed and a terrorist was shot dead.

SF personnel kill two cadres of the HM, including 'deputy district commander' Afaq Bhai alias Khalid, in a gun-battle at Malikpora in the Bandipore area of Baramulla district.

The breakaway APHC leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's call for a strike to protest against the killing of three young children in Army firing on July 24 in Kupwara district evokes a significant response in the capital city of Srinagar.

In an attack at Budshah Chowk in the heart of the capital city of Srinagar, terrorists kill two SF personnel and injure at least 18 civilians, including ten journalists, and four SF personnel.

Five VDC members, including two brothers, are killed by a group of terrorists at Thub dhok in the Kandi area of Rajouri district.

Two HM cadres, identified as 'district commander' Mohammad Rafeeq Piswal alias Fighter Khan and Mohammad Abbas Khan, are killed by the SFs during a cordon-and-search operation at Arah village in the Anantnag district.

Three more Hizb cadres, including 'district financial chief' Ghulam Hassan Mir alias Arshid, were killed by the SFs who had laid an ambush in the Handwara area of Kupwara district.

A 'sector commander' of the JeM, identified as Adil, is shot dead by the troops in the Phagala area of Poonch district.

August 2

Two terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, including Abu Shahid, an 'area commander', are killed and another was arrested during a search operation by the SFs at Jamsalan in the Mahore area of Udhampur district.

August 3

Cross-border infiltration increased in June and July 2005 due to melting of snow along the border, Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament). "It was observed that there was a reduction in the number of infiltration attempts from across the border in the initial five months of 2005. However, there has been an increase in cross-border infiltration in June and July 2005," he said during the Question Hour.

August 4

The Supreme Court confirms the death sentence of Jaish-e-Mohammed activist, Mohammed Afzal, in the Parliament attack case, but condoned the death sentence of Shaukat Hussain Guru and passed the order of 10 years rigorous imprisonment and Rupees 25,000 fine. The apex court also upheld the Delhi High Court judgment of acquitting S. A. R. Geelani and Afsan Guru, wife of Shaukat Guru.

August 8

India and Pakistan agree to continue the cease-fire on the Line of Control (LoC) as part of the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) between the two countries.

August 9

A top Jaish-e-Mohammed 'commander', identified as Abu Khalid alias Kari Magheer, is shot dead by the SFs at Bhatti Dhar in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

August 12

Five civilians are killed and three others sustain injuries when a group of four terrorists attacked two houses at village Chajru in the Mahore area of Udhampur district.

August 13

Three LeT terrorists and two soldiers are killed during an encounter at village Khudwani in the Baramulla district.

Troops kill Abu Haroon, a 'district commander' of the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM) at Gounthal in the Surankote area of Poonch district.

August 15

Addressing the nation on Independence Day, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserted that the entire infrastructure of terrorism in Pakistan should be "totally dismantled" as "half-hearted" efforts at curbing terrorists cannot succeed. "I am aware that the Government of Pakistan has put some checks on the activities of terrorists from its soil. However, it is not possible to achieve success through half-hearted efforts. It is necessary that the entire infrastructure of terrorism is totally dismantled," he said.

August 16

Waheen Qureshi alias Waleed, a 'district commander' of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen, is killed by the police at village Matipora in the Anantnag district.

August 17

One Central Reserve Police Force personnel is reported to have died and at least three civilians and six CRPF personnel were wounded in a car bomb explosion at Qazigund in the Anantnag district.

August 19

A HM 'section commander' Uttam Singh alias Saifullah is killed by the troops at village Thaloran in Doda district.

August 20

An 'area commander' of the Harkat-ul-Jehadi-e-Islami, Mohd Yunis alias Hafeez is killed, while one of his associates was arrested during a search operation by security forces at village Chacho in the Kishtwar area of Doda district.

August 22

Three members of a family, including a Village Defence Committee member, are shot dead by terrorists in their house at village Paira in the Koteranka area of Rajouri district.

Two cadres of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, including a 'commander' identified as Ghulam Mohammad Rather alias Bashir Langda, are killed in an encounter with the SFs in Pulwama district.

August 23

A court in the national capital New Delhi convicts a Kashmiri terrorist who planted a bomb in a building in the busy Connaught Place area on May 2, 2001.

August 27

Forest Minister Sofi Ghulam Mohiuddin escapes unhurt when terrorists fired at his motorcade at Laribal in Handwara area of Kupwara district.

August 28

The Army foils an infiltration attempt near Keran Tanghdar sector on the LoC in Kupwara district killing four terrorists.

A 'commander' of the Jaish-e-Mohammed outfit, identified as Abdul Qayoom Parray, and a civilian, identified as Ghulam Mohiuddin Gujjar, were killed and two soldiers sustained injuries in an encounter at Barzalla village in the Baramulla district.

August 29

India is reported to have handed over to Pakistan a list of nearly 30 wanted people, including mafia don Dawood Ibrahim, JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar and ULFA chief Paresh Baruah, seeking their deportation to face trial. The list, which also includes names of Dawood associate Chhota Shakeel and HM chief Syed Salahuddin, was handed over by the Union Home Secretary V. K. Duggal to his Pakistani counterpart Syed Kamal Shah on the opening day of the two-day Home Secretary-level talks in New Delhi.

August 30

A 'deputy battalion commander' of the HM, Shamas-ud-Din alias Basharat, is shot dead by the SF personnel in an encounter at village Bharneli in the Mahore area of Udhampur district.

The Minister for Public Health and Engineering, Qazi Mohammed Afzal, former minister Moulvi Iftikhar Hussain and Member of Legislative Council, Basharat Bukhari, escape an attempt on their lives when terrorists fired rifle grenades towards their rally at Pattan in the Baramulla district.

August 31

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh invites the All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for talks in New Delhi on September 5. Farooq, who will lead the delegation, accepted the invitation for the talks that will take place nine days ahead of Dr. Singh's meeting with the Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf in New York.

September 1

After a 48 hour gun-battle on the LoC in the Nowgam Sector of Kupwara district, nine terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Toiba outfit are shot dead by the SFs.

September 2

Three civilians are killed and four others, including two women, sustain injuries in a terrorist attack near village Soundhar in the Doda district.

The moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference announced a five-member delegation led by its chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq for talks with the Prime Minister in New Delhi on September 5. The team comprises former Hurriyat chairmen Abdul Gani Bhatt and Maulana Abbas Ansari, Bilal Gani Lone and Fazal Haq Qureshi.

September 5

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh holds talks with leaders of the Hurriyat Conference faction led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in New Delhi and is reported to assured that conditions will be created for reduction of armed forces in Jammu and Kashmir if there is a cessation of violence and an end to infiltration.

Two Special Police Officers, Liaquat Ali and Noor Mohammed, and a civilian, Nazakat Ali, are killed by a group of terrorists in their house at village Achar in the Doda district.

September 6

A Hizb 'section commander', Mohammed Rafiq, is killed in an encounter with the SFs at village Dugga Banjoi in the Bhalla area of Doda district.

September 9

Six members of three families are killed and eight others sustain injuries when a group of terrorists attacked their houses at Dharmari in the Udhampur district.

Two of the three shepherds who were abducted by a group of terrorists from Pir Panjal range in the Udhampur district on September 8 are killed in captivity.

Foiling an infiltration attempt, the SFs shot dead three terrorists in a gun-battle in the Balnoi sector of Poonch district.

September 10

Five soldiers are killed during a terrorist attack on an Army convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway near Awantipore in the Pulwama district.

September 12

Troops kill two cadres of the HuJI, including 'deputy district commander' Nasir Ahmed Khanday alias Musafir, at Synthan Top in the Chatru area of Doda district.

The Border Security Force announces withdrawal of nine battalions (approximately 10,000 personnel) from the Srinagar and Anantnag districts and made way for the Central Reserve Police Force to take over counter-terrorism duties.

September 13

SF personnel kill three infiltrators near the LoC at Nabad Pathri in the Kupwara district.

September 14

Three Afghan terrorists are shot dead by the Army on the LoC in the Shahpur area of Poonch district.

September 17

The 'financial controller' of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Masood Ahmed Natnu alias Yunus Sadiqui, is killed by the troops at village Dama in the Doda district.

September 19

Syed Ali Shah Geelani describes Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's invitation to elected representatives of Jammu and Kashmir as "contradictory" to Islamabad's stance on Kashmir. "Pakistan in a way has accepted the representative character of these political leaders and was surrendering its 57-year-old stand over the Kashmir issue," he said.

September 21

Two terrorists each affiliated to the HM and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen outfits are reportedly killed in an encounter with the security forces at Zainpora Sogan in the Pulwama district. The slain terrorists include Javed Ahmed Thoker, a Hizb 'battalion commander' and Jamsheed, a HuM 'commander'.

September 23

An 'area commander' of the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Khurshid Ahmed Butt alias Kamran alias Fayaaz, is arrested by the Delhi Police from the Pampore area of Pulwama district.

A 'section commander' of the HM, identified as Guddu Gujjar, is killed in an encounter with security forces at Achholbani in the Dessa area of Doda district.

September 26

Three unidentified terrorists are killed in an encounter with the SFs at Malakgund village in the Shopian area of Pulwama district.

In another encounter, troops of the Rashtriya Rifles killed a 'section commander' of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, Mohammed Hussain alias Abu Abrar, at Kanau in the Doda district.

September 27

The Army foils an infiltration attempt on the LoC by killing three terrorists in the Machil sector of Kupwara district.

Abu Osama, a Lashkar-e-Toiba 'commander', is killed by the SFs at Pathana Teer in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

September 28

Four Hizb cadres, including an 'area commander' of the outfit, identified as Zakir Hussain, surrender before the SFs after an exchange of fire, in which a woman and her minor daughter are killed and another woman is injured at village Malad in the Billawar area of Kathua district.

September 30

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen 'section commander' Mohammed Yusuf alias Umar Farooq and one of his unidentified associates are killed during an encounter with the SFs at village Bhargi in the Doda district.

A self-styled commander of the HM, Ibrahim Dar, is killed in an encounter with the troops at Lawaypora on the Srinagar-Tangmarg road.

A 'battalion commander' of the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen outfit is killed in a gun-battle with the troops at Uttarsu in the Anantnag district.

October 2

Abdul Rashid Gujjar, 'operational commander' of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, is killed by the SFs at village Bismai Karamulla Top in the Pulwama district.

A group of terrorists shot dead two prominent counter-insurgents, Ghulam Hassan Baba and Mushtaq Ahmed, at a spot between Nasrullahpora and Waterwani in the Budgam district.

A 'district commander' of the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Mehnaz, is shot dead by the SFs in an encounter at Kasuli in the Dharmari area of Udhampur district.

Three members of a family are shot dead by two terrorists in their house at village Gumeri in the Gool area of Udhampur district.

SFs killed a 'deputy district commander" of the HM Pir Panjal Regiment, Sofian Gaznabi, at Khadoon in the Kandi area of Rajouri district.

The Army foiled an infiltration attempt by killing eight Lashkar-e-Toiba cadres near the LoC at Jamia Galli Gulmarg in the Baramulla district. A soldier was also killed while two others were injured in the gun-battle.

Three terrorists, including a 'district commander' of the HuM, are shot dead by the SF personnel during a search operation at village Sayan under the Kokernag police station in the Anantnag district.

Ten persons belonging to four families were reportedly killed by terrorists of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit at Dhara and Gabbar in the Budhal area of Rajouri district.

A Press Trust of India report has indicated that the October 8-earthquake is understood to have caused massive damage to some terrorist training camps in PoK. According to central security agencies, camps of outfits like the Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen, Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and Al-Badr had been damaged.

Three Hizb-ul-Mujahideen cadres, Noor Hussain, Mehmood Khan and Abdur Rasheed Chichi, are reported to have died in an encounter with the SFs at Chuntiwari Aloosa in the Bandipore area of Baramulla district.

Mohammed Ashraf alias Hanfi, a tehsil (administrative subdivision) 'commander' of the HM, is killed while two of his associates were arrested in the Bhaderwah area of Doda district.

October 17

A leader of the CPI-M, Ghulam Nabi Ganai, is shot dead by a group of terrorists outside a mosque at Seer Hamadan village in the Anantnag district.

October 18

Terrorists assassinate the Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Education, Dr. Ghulam Nabi Lone, while CPI-M legislator, Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami, escaped unhurt in a similar attempt in the high-security Tulsibagh area of capital Srinagar. Two SF personnel and a civilian are also killed in the incidents, for which the Islamic Front and Al-Mansooran have claimed responsibility.

October 19

Two civilians are killed and 10 persons, including a Sub Inspector of Police, sustain injuries when a veil-clad terrorist opened fire on a Police party at Kadalbal in the Pampore township of Pulwama district. The hitherto unknown Hamadania Brigade, which security agencies suspect is a front name of a major terrorist group, claims responsibility for the incident.

Two HM terrorists, including ‘district commander’ Abdul Majeed alias Shamsheer, are shot dead by the SFs in an encounter at Thannamandi in the Rajouri district.

October 21

A ‘tehsil commander’ of the HM, Abdul Hamid alias Sher Khan, and a soldier are killed in an encounter at Khari in the Banihal area of Doda district.

10 civilians and four SF personnel are wounded when terrorists lobbed a hand grenade targeting a paramilitary position near Akbar Hotel in the crowded Batmaloo area of capital Srinagar.

A group of terrorists are reported to have abducted and subsequently shot dead Ghulam Rasool Shah, an activist of the National Conference party, at Ratnipora in the Pulwama district.

October 24

Two terrorists of the HM, ‘tehsil commander’ Mohammed Sultan Ganja and Atta Mohammed alias Irfan, are killed and another surrendered while two SF personnel were wounded during an encounter at Chakka Sarbaghni in the Banihal area of Doda district.

October 25

A ‘district co-ordinator of the Al Badr Mujahideen and two other terrorists are killed by the SFs during a cordon-and-search operation at Sheikhpora in the Rafiabad area of Baramulla district.

Mushtaq Ahmed, a constable of the Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (6^th Battalion), is arrested for allegedly working as an active militant of the HM outfit.

October 26

A soldier is killed and 30 persons, including 10 civilians, sustain injuries when terrorists triggered an IED targeting a bus of the BSF at Omarabad near Lawaypora, on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway. The HM has taken responsibility for the blast.

October 27

Two self-styled commanders of the Al-Badr – ‘district commander’ Tamya and ‘battalion commander’ Babar alias Azeem - are killed along with their bodyguard Anwar in an encounter with the troops at Panzla in the Baramulla district.

According to the BSF, terrorists in J&K are currently trying to regroup and mobilise overground workers, after the destruction caused by the Octoberober 8-earthquake and the reverses at the hands of SFs.

Ghulam Nabi Azad, the Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, is to be the next Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir. Azad will be sworn in as the Chief Minister on November 2.

October 30

A HM ‘tehsil commander’, Farid Ahmed Malik alias Harish, is killed in an encounter with the troops at Tandla in the Gannon area of Doda district.

October 31

During a search operation at Krotan forests in the Udhyanpur area of Doda district, the SFs recover eight kilograms of RDX, seven detonators, six Chinese hand grenades, two RPG rockets, one disposable rocket launcher, one rocket launcher, one wire cutter, three AK magazines and 832 AK rounds.

November 1

SFs shot dead three terrorists during an operation at Katwan-Chakri in the Doda district.

A few hours before the swearing in of Ghulam Nabi Azad as the tenth Chief Minister (CM) of Jammu and Kashmir, a Fidayeen (suicide squad) terrorist detonated a powerful car bomb in the Nowgam area of capital Srinagar near the old residence of outgoing CM, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, killing at least 10 people and injuring 18 others.

November 3

The SFs are reported to have arrested Abdullah Banday, a Congress party leader with alleged links to the outlawed LeT from village Bharat in the Doda district. Banday, a prominent Congress leader of Doda, was operating as Lashkar’s main conduit for Hawala operations in the district for last more than three years.

November 7

Two ‘commanders’ of the LeT are killed and a soldier sustains injuries during an encounter at Dharam forests in the Gool area of Udhampur district. The slain terrorists are identified as Abu Adil, a ‘tehsil commander’ and Abu Aria, an ‘area commander’, both residents of Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Shahnawaz Ahmed alias Nika Taxi, a ‘district commander’ of the HM is killed by security force personnel near Kalipora in the Kulgam area of Anantnag district.

November 8

A group of terrorists are reported to have shot dead the brother and sister-in-law of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader and Member of Legislative Council, Master Tassaduq Hussain, in their house at Larkuti in the Budhal area of Rajouri district.

November 10

An Army officer, identified as Major G. S. Rathore, is reported to have died and two soldiers sustained injuries during an encounter with terrorists who attacked a search party of the Rashtriya Rifles at Bandipora in the Baramulla district on Novemberember 10. The encounter ended after 17 hours on Novemberember 11 with the killing of a terrorist.

November 14

Two soldiers of the CRPF and an equal number of civilians are killed while 17 persons, including a Japanese journalist, sustain injuries when terrorists carried out a Fidayeen attack at the business hub of Lalchowk in Srinagar. The Al-Mansooran and J&K Islamic Front has claimed responsibility for the attack. The 24-hour long gun-battle between the terrorists and security forces (SFs) came to end on Novemberember 15-afternoon when Police shot dead one of the suicide squad terrorists and arrested the other.

November 15

Six persons are killed and 90 others sustain injuries when terrorists targeted the former Minister and PDP leader Ghulam Hassan Mir’s public meeting with a grenade explosion at Tangmarg in the Baramulla district. The PDP leader and five of his Personal Security Officers, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and Station House Officer of Tangmarg are among those wounded. The Al-Arifeen outfit has claimed for responsibility for the attack.

Three persons are detained in Srinagar by the Delhi Police in connection with the October 29-serial blasts in the national capital.

November 16

Four civilians are killed and 72 persons, including legislator and former Minister Usman Majeed, sustain injuries in a powerful car bomb explosion near the main entrance of the J&K Bank Corporate Headquarters in Srinagar. The Al-Arifeen, believed to be a front outfit of the LeT, claimed responsibility for the blast.

November 19

Two LeT militants, including a ‘section commander’ identified as Ismayil, are killed in an encounter with the troops at Kither Bunjwa village in the Doda district. An Army personnel is also killed in the two hour long gun-battle.

November 20

An ‘area commander’ of the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment, identified as Mubassaq Bashir, is shot dead by the SFs at Pathana Teer in the Mendhar area of Poonch district.

November 21

Dismissing the recent spurt in terrorist attacks as an attempt by them to mark their presence, the Army chief, Gen. J. J. Singh, said that its "counter-infiltration grid" is in place to thwart attempts to sneak into Jammu and Kashmir. Infiltration has been controlled to a large extent and the "data available with us till this month shows that there is no need to worry," he added.

The Government of India rejects Pakistan’s idea of "so-called self-governance" in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) saying that people of the State already enjoyed autonomy and popular democratic rights which residents of the State’s parts under Pakistani occupation were deprived of.

November 23

In a Fidayeen attack at Hawal in the outskirts of capital Srinagar, two terrorists and three SF personnel are killed while seven persons are wounded when the former stormed a CRPF company headquarters.

A HM ‘district commander’, Farooq Ahmed Nak alias Irfan Laddoo, is shot dead by the Army in an encounter at village Dewal in the Udhampur district.

November 24

As infiltration levels have not decreased even after the October 8-earthquake, the Army has devised a new strategy to track down terrorists. "We have devised a three tier security system to frustrate evil designs of those trying to infiltrate into this side to spread violence and bloodshed", says General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) Northern Command, Lt Gen. Deepak Kapoor.

November 27

Foiling an infiltration attempt across the LoC, SF personnel shot dead three terrorists in the Uri sector of Baramulla district.

November 28

Home Minister Shivraj Patil has said that though the number of infiltrators into the country has gone down, infiltration continues in a calibrated manner with terrorist organisations in Kashmir being "funded from the other side of the border". But there is a fall in terrorist violence in 2005, giving room for increased tourist flow, he informed the Parliament. "Till October 2005, 219 terrorists are estimated to have infiltrated, which is a decline of 55 per cent over 2004… The number of tourists visiting the Kashmir Valley had increased to 533,211 in 2005 as against 303,109 in 2004, "he said in a statement placed on the table of both the Houses of the Parliament.

November 29

Two top cadres of the Al Badr outfit, Sikander Khan Afghani alias Mama, a ‘divisional commander’, and Faisal, a ‘district commander’, are shot dead by the troops during an encounter at Nilura village in the Pulwama district.

December 2

Three Pakistani terrorists, Abid-ur-Rehman alias Abu Talha of Faisalabad, Mohammed Saleem alias Abu Abbas of Karachi and Sadaaqat Ali alias Abu Hamaad of Rawalpindi, are killed in an encounter with the SFs near Anchar Lake in the Soura area of Srinagar.

Three LeT cadres, Mushtaq Ahmed Dar, Mohammad Ayub Dar and Fayaz Ahmed Bhat, are killed during a cordon and search operation by the SFs at Kachhwan Larnoo in the Kokernag area of Anantnag district.