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Jammu & Kashmir
Statement:2018
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Date
Incidents
January - 2 
The Government has no plans to give general amnesty to the militants in Jammu and Kashmir and Maoists who give up violence and arms struggle, the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) was informed on January 2, reports Daily Excelsior. “There is no proposal for general amnesty t
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The Government has no plans to give general amnesty to the militants in Jammu and Kashmir and Maoists who give up violence and arms struggle, the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) was informed on January 2, reports Daily Excelsior. “There is no proposal for general amnesty to the militants,” Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said in a reply to a written question in Lok Sabha. The reply came in response to a question on whether the Government has any proposal for extending general amnesty, along with a lucrative rehabilitation package, to the Maoists and militants who give up violence and arms struggle.The Minister said the Central Government was following a multi-pronged strategy to deal with Left Wing Extremism (LWE) and the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeastern States. The multi-pronged strategy comprises security-related measures and development-related initiatives. “In Jammu and Kashmir and NE States, the Central Government is also following a policy of talks with those groups who abjure the path of violence and seek resolution of their demands peacefully within the framework of the Constitution of India,” he said.
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January - 3 
The National Investigating Agency (NIA) on January 3 opposed before a Delhi court the bail application of an alleged stone pelter, arrested from Kashmir Valley in a terror case, citing his "anti-national" activities, reports The New Indian Express. The NIA, probing funding of terror a
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The National Investigating Agency (NIA) on January 3 opposed before a Delhi court the bail application of an alleged stone pelter, arrested from Kashmir Valley in a terror case, citing his "anti-national" activities, reports The New Indian Express. The NIA, probing funding of terror and separatist activities in the valley, told District Judge Poonam A Bamba that 24-year-old Javed Ahmed Bhat was involved in anti-national activities and took active participation in stone pelting on Security Forces (SFs). The agency said there were serious apprehension about Bhat fleeing from justice as well as the country and that he could tamper with evidences if released on bail. It further added that the investigation into the case was still on and the accused remained non-cooperative during the probe. The NIA arrested Bhat on September 5, 2017 for his alleged involvement in stone pelting and organising groups of youths who would throw stones at the security personnel involved in counter-insurgency operations. Bhat had moved the bail application through advocate M S Khan, claiming that he was wrongly implicated in the case.
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January - 3 
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir, on January 3, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) said that as per government reports, there was no presence of ISIS [Islamic State or Daesh], but that the Ansar Gazwat ul-Hind which was f
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Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir, on January 3, in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) said that as per government reports, there was no presence of ISIS [Islamic State or Daesh], but that the Ansar Gazwat ul-Hind which was formed and led by Zakir Musa has been active on social media, reports News 18. “As per report, nothing has been established on the ground that ISIS is operating in any part of Kashmir valley. However, Ansar Gazwat ul-Hind formed and led by Zakir Musa has posted adverse materials on social media. There are reports that at present, Zakir Musa has support of no less than 10 militants,” said Ahir. The Minister also said that “no militant Tanzeem called Taliban is presently operating in any part of Kashmir valley.”Earlier this year, a group of unidentified militants addressed a rally in Pulwama where they warned people against supporting ‘un-Islamic Pakistan while seeking support for Taliban. Barely hours after Ahir made the statement in Parliament, Ansar Gazwat ul-Hind, on January 3, posted a video (similar to the one they had put out sometime ago) talking about Babri Masjid demolition on a messaging group, detailing the history, background and calling out Muslims in India to embrace jihad. On December 26, the group also posted an interview with Ustad Usama Mehmood, the spokesman of Al Qaeda of the sub-continent. In October this year, the outfit had released an audio clip on a conversation between the outfit’s leader Zakir Musa and slain militant Abu Dujana.
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January - 8 
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘operational commander’ Riyaz Naikoo, in an audio clip, threatened to use acid against those contesting in panchayat (village level local self government institution) polls in Jammu and Kashmir that are to be held next month, reports The Indian Expr
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Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘operational commander’ Riyaz Naikoo, in an audio clip, threatened to use acid against those contesting in panchayat (village level local self government institution) polls in Jammu and Kashmir that are to be held next month, reports The Indian Express on January 9. In an audio clip, Riyaz Naikoo, who is based in south Kashmir, is seen telling another of the outfit’s south Kashmir commanders, Sameer Tiger that a few drops of acid should be poured into the eyes of those who contest panchayat elections. Naikoo says the contestants will become a burden for their families. The Hizbul commander also says that in 2016 because of the pellets many youths lost their eyesight and young boys lost their lives and that now the militants were planning similar fate for those wanting to contest elections. In the clip, Naikoo also says that this time they will neither kill people nor will they issue threats to those who contest elections. ”We will go to their homes and pour acid in their eyes so that they will become a burden for their families,” he is heard saying. The Hizbul commander further says that in villages many people are unaware about the repercussion of these polls and are being used by some political agents for their personal benefits. “This time we will force them to reveal the names of those people who force them to contest elections.” Though separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani has already asked people to stay away from the panchayat elections, this is the first time since the government’s announcement of polls that HM has threatened possible election contestants.
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January - 8 
In a bid to convince Kashmiri youth, who have recently joined Valley-based militant groups, to give up arms, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police said they need not come to police stations to surrender but can ‘simply join their families’ under the ‘no case no apprehension policy
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In a bid to convince Kashmiri youth, who have recently joined Valley-based militant groups, to give up arms, the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police said they need not come to police stations to surrender but can ‘simply join their families’ under the ‘no case no apprehension policy’, reports Hindustan Times on January 9. Police maintain the exercise of surrender will take place in front of the families. The policy, which for now sounds more likes an appeal, is for militants who have not participated in any attacks or active militant operations against Security Forces (SFs) in Kashmir. But the lines have only been drawn for those who don’t have any criminal cases registered against them and ‘are not involved in any heinous acts’. The surrender policy is just for local youth. The move comes in the backdrop of a research scholar of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) in Uttar Pradesh joining the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM). “Police have appealed to local youth to give up arms and in return neither will they be apprehended nor will any cases be lodged against them,” a senior J&K police official said.
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January - 9 
The Kashmiri youth and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) scholar, Manaan Wani has joined the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), the terror group's Pakistan-based ‘chief’ Syed Salahuddin said in a statement to local media, reports The Times of India. "Joining of Manaan Wani exposes the
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The Kashmiri youth and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) scholar, Manaan Wani has joined the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), the terror group's Pakistan-based ‘chief’ Syed Salahuddin said in a statement to local media, reports The Times of India. "Joining of Manaan Wani exposes the Indian propaganda that the youths of Kashmir are joining militant ranks due to unemployment and economic distress," Salahuddin said in the statement to a Srinagar-based news gathering agency on January 8. "From years on, educated and qualified youths of Kashmir have been joining Hizbul Mujahideen to take this ongoing freedom movement to logical conclusion. This spirit of youths is laudable," Salahuddin said, confirming that Wani had joined Hizbul Mujahideen, in the statement in Urdu. Wani, who belongs to Tikipora in Lolab area of Kupwara District, went missing last week. He was scheduled to return home from Delhi on January 6. The 26-year-old scholar was on Monday expelled by AMU following reports that he may have joined the terror group after his photograph, showing him with an AK-47 rifle, appeared in social media.
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January - 10 
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on January 10 vowed to break the ‘vicious cycle’ of youth taking up arms on the death of a militant and said efforts were on to ensure that those joining militant ranks return home, reports First Post. She said that her Government woul
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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on January 10 vowed to break the ‘vicious cycle’ of youth taking up arms on the death of a militant and said efforts were on to ensure that those joining militant ranks return home, reports First Post. She said that her Government would continue its efforts to bring back local youth who had joined militancy to end the "vicious cycle" besides strengthening panchayats (village level local self government institution) after successfully conducting the elections next month. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)'s "Afzal Guru Squad" that has claimed responsibility for major terror attacks in the Valley recently "is a challenge for not only the government but for all of us", she said in her reply to the motion of thanks on the Governor’s address in the State Assembly in Jammu.
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January - 10 
The Indian Army killed 138 Pakistan Army personnel in 2017 in tactical operations and retaliatory cross-border firings along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Government intelligence sources said on January 10, reports The Times of India. The Indian Army lost 28 soldiers during th
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The Indian Army killed 138 Pakistan Army personnel in 2017 in tactical operations and retaliatory cross-border firings along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, Government intelligence sources said on January 10, reports The Times of India. The Indian Army lost 28 soldiers during the same period along the LoC, the sources said. The sources said the Pakistan Army usually does not acknowledge the deaths of its personnel and shows them as civilian casualties in certain cases. The Indian Army has been adopting a ‘tough’ approach in dealing with ceasefire violations and terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir in the last one year. The Pakistan Army has suffered 138 fatal and 155 non- fatal casualties in tactical operations and retaliatory cross-border firings along the LoC in 2017, the intelligence sources said. A total of 70 Indian Army personnel were injured during cross border firings and other incidents. According to official figures, 860 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops were reported in 2017 as against 221 in 2016.
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January - 11 
General Officer Commanding (GOC) Kilo Force, Major General AK Singh, on January 11 said that the majority of youth in Jammu and Kashmir want peace and those who join militancy are just a few, reports Daily Excelsior. “I think, we only talk about those few hundreds who have joined terroris
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General Officer Commanding (GOC) Kilo Force, Major General AK Singh, on January 11 said that the majority of youth in Jammu and Kashmir want peace and those who join militancy are just a few, reports Daily Excelsior. “I think, we only talk about those few hundreds who have joined terrorism. But we don’t talk about those 22 lakh Kashmiri youths who have shunned away the path of terrorism and want peace and stability in the Valley”, he said while speaking to reporters in Baramulla in Baramulla District during a function. Singh said that recently joined militant of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) Manan Wani was tricked into militancy. “I think, Manan Wani is only an exception and he has been probably tricked into this otherwise no militant gives his photograph like this. Hizb-ul-Mujahideen has used him so that he will not join mainstream back”, he said. The Major General said that policy of the security forces is to accept those youth into mainstream who shun the path of violence. “But our policy is that any militant who wants to join back mainstream, we always accept them”, he said. “We will continue to fight back these incidents. Army and all the security forces in Kashmir are ready and we will do our best to stop those people who are involved in these incidents”, he said.
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January - 12 
In a significant statement on anti-militancy operations in Kashmir, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on January 12 that this year (2018) Army will shift its focus to North Kashmir from South Kashmir in 2017 to prevent the infiltration attempts and declared that troops would destroy all Pakistani
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In a significant statement on anti-militancy operations in Kashmir, Army chief General Bipin Rawat said on January 12 that this year (2018) Army will shift its focus to North Kashmir from South Kashmir in 2017 to prevent the infiltration attempts and declared that troops would destroy all Pakistani posts from where terrorists are launched into the Indian soil, reports Daily Excelsior. He said seeds of thought of some kind of ‘separate identity’ are being sown in Government schools among the children, which have separate map of the State besides that of India and called for major revamp of education system in Jammu and Kashmir to deal with the problem.General Rawat said: “our focus of operations in 2017 was South Kashmir. This year it will shift to North Kashmir’s Baramulla, Pattan, Handwara, Kupwara, Sopore, Lolab and some Northern areas of Bandipora so that the infiltration can be thwarted there’’. Asserting that the people, who rush to site of encounters between militants and Security Forces (SFs), were risking their lives, the Army chief described it as ‘worrisome phenomenon’. “This is becoming a worrisome phenomenon that people are just rushing to operations to get successful and at time taking risks well beyond their capacities. Why are they taking risks? They are more concerned about tasks at hand to get success, that is why sometimes it is leading to higher casualty rate,’’ the Chief of Army Staff said.The Army chief’s statement on focusing North Kashmir this year assumed great significance as it had been targeting South Kashmir, which had once become hub of the militancy especially after the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘divisional commander’ Burhan Wani in July 2016. However, last year, SFs killed nearly 200 militants in the Valley including South Kashmir. He declared that the Indian Army will destroy all those military posts of Pakistan from where they launched militants and terror strikes into Kashmir. “We target all those Pakistani posts from where they launch terrorists for infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir. Terrorists are a disposable commodity in Pakistan and Indian Army’s approach is to ensure that Pakistan feels the pain,’’ Gen Rawat said.Referring to increased number of ceasefire violations on the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, he said India will retaliate against any threat and will continue the similar approach till it sees reduction in ceasefire violations. “The casualties which Pakistan has suffered are three to four times more than what we did. Pakistan is sending messages regularly to return to the ceasefire. We are ready but we will continue our approach till we see a decrease in ceasefire violations,’’ the Army chief said.
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January - 12 
Jammu and Kashmir Government on January 12 said 51 persons were killed and over 9,000 injured, including over 6,000 due to pellets, during the eight months- long unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militant Burhan Wani in 2016, reports Daily Excelsior. In a written re
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Jammu and Kashmir Government on January 12 said 51 persons were killed and over 9,000 injured, including over 6,000 due to pellets, during the eight months- long unrest in Kashmir after the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militant Burhan Wani in 2016, reports Daily Excelsior. In a written reply to the question of a National Conference MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) Mubarakh Gul in the State Assembly, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on January 12 said 51 people were killed in Kashmir division from July 8, 2016 to February 27, 2017 in the unrest.She said 9,042 people were injured in firing of bullets, pellets, PAVA (Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide)-shells and others during the period. Of these, 6,221 were injured due to pellets, 368 due to bullets, four due to PAVA shells and 2,449 suffered other injuries, she said. As many as 782 suffered eye injuries of which 510 were hospitalized, she said, adding that 5,197 cases of pellet injuries were treated at district hospitals and the rest were referred to Super Speciality Hospitals. The highest number of deaths - 16 - took place in Anantnag District followed by 13 in Kulgam District, seven in Pulwama and five in Kupwara, Mufti added.
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January - 12 
Security has been put on maximum alert in Handwara area of Kupwara District after inputs about possible Fidayeen (suicide) attack by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Sources said that a group of four JeM fidayeensare trying to carry out an attack in Handwara and in order to prevent the attack,
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Security has been put on maximum alert in Handwara area of Kupwara District after inputs about possible Fidayeen (suicide) attack by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Sources said that a group of four JeM fidayeensare trying to carry out an attack in Handwara and in order to prevent the attack, security has been put on alert and Security Forces (SFs) have established checks points and have intensified security around SFs camps and other installations.
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January - 12 
Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Prime Minister Office, Dr Jitendra Singh on January 12 said in Jammu that certain vested interests do not want the militancy to end in Jammu and Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior. Over the last 25 years, he said, mi
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Union Minister of State for the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, Prime Minister Office, Dr Jitendra Singh on January 12 said in Jammu that certain vested interests do not want the militancy to end in Jammu and Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior. Over the last 25 years, he said, militancy has developed as an industry and the beneficiaries of it thrive in its continuation, but what is more worrisome is that some of the so – called mainstream political activists and political groups have also learnt to sustain their political relevance in an atmosphere of instability and disturbance resulting from continued militancy.Dr Jitendra Singh said, those who oppose the Panchayat (village level local self government institution) elections are, in fact, scared of grass-root democracy flourishing in the State because that will mark an end of the game for the self-styled and un-elected leaders from the so called separatist lobby, as well as some of the so – called mainstream leaders who have mastered the art of getting themselves elected with a meager vote percentage in the shadow of militancy.
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January - 14 
Advocating a ‘politico-military’ approach in dealing with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on January 14 called for political initiative to go hand-in-hand with military operations in the State, reports Daily Excelsior. General Rawat, who has follow
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Advocating a ‘politico-military’ approach in dealing with the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on January 14 called for political initiative to go hand-in-hand with military operations in the State, reports Daily Excelsior. General Rawat, who has followed a hard-line approach in tackling terrorism, said the armed forces operating in the State cannot be ‘status quoist’ and must evolve new strategies and tactics to deal with the situation. The Army chief said, “The political initiative and all the other initiatives must go simultaneously hand-in-hand and only if all of us function in synergy, we can bring lasting peace in Kashmir. It has to be a politico-military approach that we have to adopt.” Rawat also asserted that there was room for ramping up heat on Pakistan to cut the flow of cross border terror activities, clearly indicating that the Army will continue its policy of hot pursuit in dealing with militancy.
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January - 20 
The main reason behind ceasefire violations and Pakistan shelling is to help infiltrate militants from across the border, Inspector General (IG), Jammu Zone, SD Singh Jamwal said. After the inputs from intelligence agencies, Police have beefed up the security in border belts and increased round-the-
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The main reason behind ceasefire violations and Pakistan shelling is to help infiltrate militants from across the border, Inspector General (IG), Jammu Zone, SD Singh Jamwal said. After the inputs from intelligence agencies, Police have beefed up the security in border belts and increased round-the-clock vigilance, he said. The Jammu and Kashmir Police on January 20 had sounded a ‘red alert’ and asked border dwellers to move out of their areas as the situation was ‘sensitive’ in the wake of continuous shelling by Pakistani troops.
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January - 21 
Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on January 21 said India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil, but also in a foreign territory, if need be, reports Daily Excelsior. “A few months ago, Pakistan, in an act of cowardice, attacked and martyred 17 of our jawans. Pri
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Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on January 21 said India has shown it can attack its enemies not only on its soil, but also in a foreign territory, if need be, reports Daily Excelsior. “A few months ago, Pakistan, in an act of cowardice, attacked and martyred 17 of our jawans. Prime Minister Narendra Modi consulted all of us on this serious issue, and the Indian Army entered the Pakistani area and killed the militants,” Singh said at a public meeting in Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh. “India’s image in the world has become that of a strong nation and we have given a strong message to the world that we can attack our enemies not only on our soil, but also in their territory. India has developed this power,” he said. Singh said India wants to maintain a friendly relationship with Pakistan. “But Pakistan is not mending its ways,” Singh said. “I want to assure you that our Government will not let India to bow its head,” he said. Singh’s remarks come almost a month after a group of five Army commandos crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir and killed three Pakistani soldiers and smashed a post, in a swift and daring operation.
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January - 22 
Militants on January 22 attacked the Police Station near Azad Jung area of the old town Baramulla in Baramulla District with a grenade at around 6.40 pm resulting in injuries to a policeman who was performing his duty as sentry of the Police Station, reports Daily Excelsior. The injured sentry
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Militants on January 22 attacked the Police Station near Azad Jung area of the old town Baramulla in Baramulla District with a grenade at around 6.40 pm resulting in injuries to a policeman who was performing his duty as sentry of the Police Station, reports Daily Excelsior. The injured sentry identified as Mohammad Rafiq has been hospitalized. In retaliation, Police fired several rounds. However, there was no immediate report of any casualty. A Police spokesman said that militants hurled a grenade on Police Station Baramulla this evening, resulting in minor injuries to a police constable. “Immediately after the attack, Police along with Security Forces (SFs) cordoned off the area and search to nab the terrorists is going on”, the spokesman said.
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January - 22 
The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) on January 22 issued a diktat to Kashmiri women threatening them to be prepared for ‘consequences’ if they did not observe the ‘Islamic dress code’, reports The Times of India. The terror outfit circulated handwritten posters, asking women to fo
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The Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) on January 22 issued a diktat to Kashmiri women threatening them to be prepared for ‘consequences’ if they did not observe the ‘Islamic dress code’, reports The Times of India. The terror outfit circulated handwritten posters, asking women to follow the Taliban-type dress code and wear loose robes, which only leave the eyes exposed. "The Kashmiri women, particularly from Shopian district, are resorting to waywardness. So, they need to observe Islamic dress. Even the hands of the women should not be exposed," read the posters with LeT stamps. The poster threatens that if women do not observe complete 'purdah', they will be "responsible for the consequences." The Police have taken the surfacing of posters lightly, but we will keep an eye on any kind of mischief against the girls in south Kashmir, a senior Police officer said.Since the rise of militancy in the 1990s, women have had to bear the brunt of Islamist militant groups that threatened them with violence if they refused to observe 'purdah'. In the early 2000s, Dukhtaraan-e-Millat (DeM) ‘chief’ Asiya Anderabi tried to impose burqa on Kashmiri women and the group attacked some non-veiled women with acid. The DeM even tried to prevent Kashmiri Muslim girls from visiting restaurants but had to abandon it due to the valley-wide resentment against the move.
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January - 24 
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, on January 24 appealed to the people to observe January 26 (Republic Day), as ‘black day’ and boycott all the functions, reports Greater Kashmir. “India has no right t
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Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik, on January 24 appealed to the people to observe January 26 (Republic Day), as ‘black day’ and boycott all the functions, reports Greater Kashmir. “India has no right to celebrate its Republican Day as they have taken the control of state with its military might. We appeal to the people to observe 26th January as a black day and boycott all celebrations,” the resistance leaders, in a statement today, said. “We have no animosity with India or its people and they have every right to celebrate republican day within its states but despite their being rhetoric about democracy they have no ethical or constitutional right to celebrate this in Jammu and Kashmir as our democratic rights have been smashed and trampled,” they said.
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January - 25 
After suffering heavy casualties and infrastructural damages on the International Border (IB), Pakistan on January 25 called for Sector Commander-level flag meeting with the Border Security Force (BSF), which was held in the afternoon in which the BSF conveyed stern message to the Pakistan Rangers t
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After suffering heavy casualties and infrastructural damages on the International Border (IB), Pakistan on January 25 called for Sector Commander-level flag meeting with the Border Security Force (BSF), which was held in the afternoon in which the BSF conveyed stern message to the Pakistan Rangers that provocative acts by them were unacceptable and will not be tolerated, reports Daily Excelsior. The meeting lasted half an hour in Suchetgarh sector in Jammu District and was attended by five officers of the BSF and 10 from the Pakistan Rangers.Thirteen persons-seven civilians and six security personnel-were killed and 65 others injured in Pakistani shelling along IB and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu region during the last 10 days. However, losses on Pakistan side were very heavy, both in terms of casualties and infrastructure. Pakistan’s ammunition and fuel dumps and firing posts were destroyed by the BSF in retaliatory action. The meeting was the first between the two sides since “heavy shelling and firing was experienced on the IB during the last week”, sources said.
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January - 26 
Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) declared India as its number one enemy, reports ANI News on January 26. This declaration was made by Maulana Talha Siaf, the brother of JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar at a rally in Larkana, Sindh in Pakistan, recently. "India is
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Pakistan-based militant group, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) declared India as its number one enemy, reports ANI News on January 26. This declaration was made by Maulana Talha Siaf, the brother of JeM founder Maulana Masood Azhar at a rally in Larkana, Sindh in Pakistan, recently. "India is the number one enemy of the JeM. Modi (Indian Prime Minister) is the number one enemy of Maulana Masood Azhar. Al Qalam is being regularly read by Indian Muslims. Al Qalam has been published online on Tuesday/Wednesday, and while you may not be able to receive a copy of this paper, your relatives in India read Al Qalam of Maulana Masood Azhar regularly. Indian media has launched a campaign against Al Qalam, and by this way, our enemy is performing our duties in India," Maulana Talha Siaf said. He also incited Muslims to follow the path of `Jihad' to achieve something great in life."India is a mini super power of the region that has created problems for Pakistan for the past sixty years, but India's six lakh forces are facing a tough time in the Kashmir Valley and are unable to announce their victory in Kashmir, said Siaf provocatively. Maulana Saif also said, "Mothers and daughters of Kashmir are calling us and we slaves are unable to cross the borders of infidels, but today, free Mujahideen can cross borders." He also raised the issue of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya city, saying, "The Indian government is using its machinery to attempt to build the Ram Mandir in place of the Babri Mosque. Maulana Masood Azhar had announced that the Ram Mandir would not be allowed to be constructed at the place of the Babri Mosque. Now, every year, the government announces that on such and such date the Ram Mandir will be built, and again from this side, there is an announcement that they will not allow the construction of the Ram Mandir in place of the Babri Mosque, and still the Ram Mandir is not built."
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January - 28 
Time has not come for any rethink on Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act [AFSPA] or making some of its provisions milder, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said, asserting that the Army has been taking adequate precautions in protecting human rights while operating in disturb areas like Jammu and Kashmir
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Time has not come for any rethink on Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act [AFSPA] or making some of its provisions milder, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said, asserting that the Army has been taking adequate precautions in protecting human rights while operating in disturb areas like Jammu and Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior on January 28. Rawat’s remarks assume significance as they come against the backdrop of reports that several rounds of high-level discussions have taken place between the defence and home ministries on the ‘need to remove or dilute at least some provisions’ of the AFSPA. The act gives the Security Forces special rights and immunity in carrying out various operations in disturbed areas. There has been a long-standing demand from various quarters in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast to withdraw it. “I do not think time has come to even rethink on AFSPA at the moment,” General Rawat said in a recent interview when asked about reports that Government was re-examining the demand for a milder version of AFSPA in these states.The Army chief said though AFSPA has certain strong provisions, the Army is concerned about collateral damages and ensuring that its operations under the law do not inconvenience the local people. “We have never been strong in applying the force the way it could be applied (under AFSPA). We are very concerned about human rights. We are absolutely concerned about collateral damage. So do not get too much concerned because we are taking adequate measures and precautions,” he said. General Rawat said the Army has rules of engagements for various operations at every level to ensure that no inconvenience is caused to the people while it is operating under AFSPA. “The AFSPA is an enabling provision which allows the Army in particular to operate in such difficult areas and let me assure you that the Army has got quite a good human rights record,” he said. Asked whether time has come to adopt a combined approach involving all three services to deal with Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army Chief did not give a direct reply but added that the armed forces have ‘options available’ to conduct various kinds of operations.
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January - 30 
Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on January 30 slammed Pakistan for continuously violating the ceasefire agreement with India despite giving assurance not to do so, saying Islamabad should not misinterpret ‘powerful’ India’s ‘decency’, reports Daily Excelsio
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Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on January 30 slammed Pakistan for continuously violating the ceasefire agreement with India despite giving assurance not to do so, saying Islamabad should not misinterpret ‘powerful’ India’s ‘decency’, reports Daily Excelsior. Pakistani shelling along the border in Jammu and Kashmir has increased over the past two weeks. Fourteen people, including eight civilians, have been killed in the shelling since January 18, according to the State Police. “Three-four days ago, Pakistan Rangers held a flag meeting with our BSF DG. (The Rangers) assured that the ceasefire violation would not take place. But despite this, Pakistan has been violating ceasefire,” Singh said. “Not saying much, I just want to say our politeness and decency has a limit and we want to maintain good relations with all and also with our neighbours. But our decency should not be wrongly interpreted,” he said. “India is no more a weak country. India has now become a powerful country.” Singh said Pakistan, being a neighbour, should have a friendly attitude towards India, but added that the fencing of the Indo-Pak border was underway at a rapid pace.
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February - 2 
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on February 2 said that situation was not conducive for revocation of Armed Forces [Special Powers] Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir even as she described ‘Mufti Sayeed’s Vision’ of opening more cross-LoC (Line of Control) roots and s
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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on February 2 said that situation was not conducive for revocation of Armed Forces [Special Powers] Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir even as she described ‘Mufti Sayeed’s Vision’ of opening more cross-LoC (Line of Control) roots and strengthening people-to-people contact between two parts of Kashmir as only viable solution to the Kashmir problem, reports Daily Excelsior.In her 47 minutes speech on the grants of her Departments in the Legislative Assembly, Mehbooba once again took on the separatists slamming frequent ‘Chalo calls’ given by them saying it leads to violence with youths becoming victims and also denounced them for using Mosques for holding meetings saying the people were fed up with such calls and want peace. She also referred to the taunt of National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah and said she was ready to go to the hell if it helps the people of Kashmir. Responding to the demand made by CPM veteran MY Tarigami on revocation of AFSPA in Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba said: “we too want that this should end. Footprints of the security forces should be reduced. But is it realistic in a situation when large number of people are gathering at the sites of encounters and pelt stones on security forces?” She said she too wants that footprints of security forces should be reduced and AFSPA go but presently situation is not like that. “The more there will be use of guns and stones, there will be more footprints of security forces. Even when I was in Opposition, I too got many bunkers and camps of security forces removed but in 2017, people came to us saying they need camps as the militants won’t come in the areas where there will be camps. And when there will be no militants, there will be no searches,” she quoted people as saying.
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February - 2 
Stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir is ‘not a law and order issue’, rather these are outcome of a cleverly drafted conspiracy by Hurriyat leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, orchestrated with the covert and overt support
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Stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir is ‘not a law and order issue’, rather these are outcome of a cleverly drafted conspiracy by Hurriyat leaders, including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and terrorists like Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin, orchestrated with the covert and overt support and funding of Pakistan, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) claimed, reports The Times of India on February 3. "Stone pelting in Kashmir has become a full-fledged industry wherein the cadres of Hurriyat and its constituent groups have organised themselves at district, tehsil, wards and mohalla level, and leaders at appropriate stages have formed an armed wing represented by masked stone-pelters, consisting mainly of youth of Kashmir Valley," says NIA chargesheet. Terming separatists as the ‘political face of the terrorism in Kashmir’, NIA said that All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) and terrorists have devised strategies as part of their "larger plot to break Jammu and Kashmir away from India".There are planners, strategists, fund raisers, cash couriers, logistic and support network, executors, publicity managers and political propagandists who continuously devise strategies and programmes by way of organising bandhs (strikes), forcible closure of roads, government establishments, damaging public property including burning of schools, arson, bank looting and directing mass violence against security forces, in general and at encounter sites, it said. The Hurriyat cadres — called 'Rukuns' — collect funds from shopkeepers, businessmen and residents of Kashmir, sometimes even threatening apple growers to pay INR 5 to INR 10 lakh. These professional stone pelters initiate violence in various urban, semi-urban and rural areas of Kashmir, by coercing innocent people to attack Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) or J&K Police, thereby using them as "cannon fodder". To control the engineered violence, Security Forces (SFS) deployed for maintenance of law and order are "often compelled to use force, including pellet guns", NIA says, adding that youth injured by pellet guns are used as "trophies" by the separatists to highlight their agenda.Asserting that violence has affected the economy of Kashmir, NIA said, "The long periods of shutdown and massive violence/stone pelting has brought Kashmir to the brink of economic collapse". NIA probe has further revealed that Kashmiri students who go to Pakistan universities are either relatives of former/active militants or known to Hurriyat leaders.
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February - 5 
Police busted an Over Ground Worker (OGW) module of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) by arresting five OGWs in Awantipora area in Pulwama District, reports Daily Excelsior on February 6. Police said that on the basis of a specific input, Awantipora Police along with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 50
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Police busted an Over Ground Worker (OGW) module of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) by arresting five OGWs in Awantipora area in Pulwama District, reports Daily Excelsior on February 6. Police said that on the basis of a specific input, Awantipora Police along with Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and 50 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) arrested a former Pakistan trained militant, Sajad Ahmad Bhat son of Ali Mohammad Bhat of Hergam Wuyan and after questioning he disclosed that he along with other OGWs of the JeM outfit were involved in the grenade throwing incidents in Pampore and Khrew areas. Police said that upon his disclosure four OGWs were arrested and arms and ammunition were recovered from them. They were identified as Umar Gani Sheikh son of Abdul Gani Sheikh resident of Drangbal Pampore, Jan Mohammad Khanday alias Jehangir son of Abdul Rashid Khanday resident of Meech Pampore, Owais Ahmad Bhat son of Abdul Rashid of Danak Mohalla Khrew and Muzaffar Hussain Bhat son of Ghulam Mohammad of Tulibagh Pampore. Police said that the JeM which was earlier having strong basis in Tral had been dislodged from the area by conducting intelligence based operations in which some of the top commanders were eliminated and large number of hideouts were busted. Police added that after continuous operations in Tral they shifted their focus in Khrew and Pampore belts. They said JeM ‘commander’ Noor Mohammad Tantray alias Noor Trali, who was killed last year, was the key in creating this network of OGWs. “After his elimination, the OGWs were operating under the command/instructions of Mufti Waqas of Pakistan who replaced Noor Trali as ‘commander’ of JeM in South Kashmir.
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February - 5 
The ‘Operation All Out’ - the joint offensive launched by Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, Border Security Force (BSF) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) to neutralise terrorists in Kashmir has 'triggered' infighting among the top three Pakistani Army and Inter-Services
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The ‘Operation All Out’ - the joint offensive launched by Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Jammu and Kashmir Police, Border Security Force (BSF) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) to neutralise terrorists in Kashmir has 'triggered' infighting among the top three Pakistani Army and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-funded terror outfits in the State, reports India Today on February 6. According to an exclusive report of the Multi-Agency Centre (MAC) of the IB, Hafiz Saeed-headed Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Masood Azhar-led Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have requested the ISI to replace Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘chief’ Sayeed Salahudeen with top HM ‘commanders’ like Aamir Khan or Imtiaz Alam as ‘Operation All-Out’ continues to kill more militants. In fact, according to the MAC report, Salahuddin himself has expressed willingness to step down with Khan, Alam and few others lobbying against him. Salahudeen also heads the United Jihad Council (UJC), which was formed by the Pakistan Army and maintains unified command and control over anti-Indian militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. Salahudeen has been the Council's head with the approval of Saeed and Azhar. The UJC comprises 13 terror outfits like Harakat-ul-Ansar, Al-Badr and Tehrik-ul-Mujahideen besides LeT and JeM. Former Director General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia said, "Yes, LeT and JeM have asked the ISI to replace Salahudeen because of operations like Operation All-Out which are conducted on specific and right intelligence provided by locals. Kashmiris are fed up of terrorist organisations. LeT and JeM want to remove the breathing space creating by Operation All-Out." "The Pakistani Army and the ISI want to fuel violence in Kashmir. We should ensure that there is no vacuum in the state, especially in South Kashmir," Bhatia said when asked that is it ISI's plan to get a new HM commander to infiltrate more terrorists. "ISI will try to control the infighting because it provides money and weapons to these outfits," he added. Defence expert Shankar Prasad said that the report is good news for India. "If the top three or four terror outfits in Kashmir are fighting among themselves, it is good news for India. It should be encouraged; it is part of tactics," he said. Prasad also said that the ISI also wants to control the outfits. "In the last four to five years, these outfits have become like unguided missiles. They are becoming increasingly independent and getting out of ISI's control. The Pakistani Army and the ISI want to rein in these outfits under pressure from America, which has squarely asked Islamabad to tackle terrorism," he said.
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February - 5 
The Indian Army on February 5 clearly indicated it would take retaliatory action against the killing of four army men in heavy shelling by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri District of Jammu and Kashmir, saying that its action would speak for itself, reports Daily Excel
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The Indian Army on February 5 clearly indicated it would take retaliatory action against the killing of four army men in heavy shelling by Pakistani forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Rajouri District of Jammu and Kashmir, saying that its action would speak for itself, reports Daily Excelsior. Vice Chief Lieutenant General Sarath Chand said the Army has been responding appropriately to Pakistan shelling, asserting that India will continue to give a ‘befitting reply’ to such acts. “That (retaliation) goes without saying, I think I don’t have to say that. (Our) action will speak for itself,” he said when asked about the killing of a Captain and three other Army men in the Rajouri sector. Chand also accused the Pakistani army of supporting the infiltration of terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir. “We will continue with our process of giving a befitting reply (to such acts),” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event here, adding that there were even incidents of mutilation of bodies of jawans last year. “We have been responding appropriately,” he said. “There has been cross-border shelling from their (Pakistan’s) side. And one of the shells landed near the officer and his men, leading to the casualties,” he said when asked about yesterday’s (February 4) shelling. Army sources said the Pakistan army had used 120mm mortars and Anti-Tank-Guided Missiles on February 4 in the attack in which the four Army men were killed. Usually the Pakistan army uses 80mm mortars.
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February - 5 
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs (UMoSHA) Hansraj Ahir told the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Indian Parliament) that in past three years, 400 Security Personnel were martyred while fighting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and counter-Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist)
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The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs (UMoSHA) Hansraj Ahir told the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of the Indian Parliament) that in past three years, 400 Security Personnel were martyred while fighting terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and counter-Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) operations across Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected states, reports The Times of India on February 6. Between 2015 and 2017, 572 civilians and 199 Security Personnel had lost their lives, while in J&K 72 civilians were killed and 201 Security Personnel were martyred in terror-related incidents. In 2017, there were 342 violent incidents were registered in J&K, in which 80 Security Personnel were martyred. With a rise in killing of 150 terrorists in 2016, 213 terrorists were killed in 2017. In January 2018, 28 violent incidents were recorded in J&K in which four Security Personnel were martyred and eight terrorists were killed, said Hansraj Ahir. Replying to the separate question about insurgency in North-East states, Ahir replied that in 2017, 308 incidents were recorded, which is a decline from 484 incidents in 2016, 574 incidents in 2015, and 824 incidents in 2014. The fatalities of civilians decreased to 37 in 2017 in comparison to 87 in 2016; 12 Security Personnel were martyred in comparison to 17 counts of the same in 2016. In total, 57 extremists were killed in 2017 as compared to 87 in 2016, said Ahir.
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February - 6 
As many as 11,566 Security Forces (SFs) personnel were injured in 4,736 stone-pelting incidents in the Jammu and Kashmir during the last three years, the Jammu and Kashmir Government said on February 6, reports Daily Excelsior. As many as 110 civilians and two Policemen also lost their lives during
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As many as 11,566 Security Forces (SFs) personnel were injured in 4,736 stone-pelting incidents in the Jammu and Kashmir during the last three years, the Jammu and Kashmir Government said on February 6, reports Daily Excelsior. As many as 110 civilians and two Policemen also lost their lives during these incidents, it added. In a written reply to a question by Congress MLC (Member of Legislative Council) Naresh Kumar Gupta in the Legislative Council on February 6, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said that as many as 9,670 Police personnel and 1,896 SFs personnel were injured in 4,736 incidents of stone-pelting during 2015, 2016 and 2017. The year 2016 saw 9,235 personnel getting injured in stone-pelting, the highest figure for these three years. There were 1,198 such incidents in 2017 and 1,690 SFs personnel were injured. In 2015, 641 SFs personnel were injured in 730 incidents in 2015, the Chief Minister said. As many as 110 civilians and two Policemen were killed during these incidents in 2015, 2016 and 2017, she said.
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February - 6 
In what may well be a significant achievement for security and intelligence agencies, terror outfit Islamic State (IS) has not been made to make any significant inroads into the Kashmir Valley, said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on February 6, reports The Asian Age. Hansraj A
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In what may well be a significant achievement for security and intelligence agencies, terror outfit Islamic State (IS) has not been made to make any significant inroads into the Kashmir Valley, said Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir on February 6, reports The Asian Age. Hansraj Ahir informed the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament) on February 6 that last year, one incident related to ISIS was reported from the Valley where slogans were shouted in support of the terror outfit. The incident was reported last November from Srinagar. Top intelligence sources claimed that ISIS has been making sustained efforts to increase its footprint in the country specially with increasing use of the social media. However, Indian security agencies have been able to successfully neutralise ISIS’ efforts, especially in the Valley due to which it has not been able to make any presence in terror activities in the region. “Our agencies which is closely monitoring ISIS activities on social media have managed to either block or delete a lot of material on these platforms which are aimed at attracting the youth in the Valley”. “The trend continues in other parts of the country also due to which apart from the Valley also ISIS does not have significant presence despite sustained efforts in the country,” a senior intelligence official said.
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February - 6 
Pakistani troops again resorted to heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch Districts on February 6, reports Daily Excelsior. “There was heavy shelling by Pakistan troops along LoC in Tarkundi and Manjakote sectors this evening [February 6],” sources. The tension along th
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Pakistani troops again resorted to heavy shelling along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch Districts on February 6, reports Daily Excelsior. “There was heavy shelling by Pakistan troops along LoC in Tarkundi and Manjakote sectors this evening [February 6],” sources. The tension along the LoC has increased after a young Army Captain and three jawans (troopers) were killed in Pakistani shelling on February 4. However, there were no casualties or damage in the shelling on Indian side. Indian troops retaliated shelling at all places effectively. The Times of India adds that in the absence of any diplomatic detente, the deadly war of attrition between India and Pakistan along the 778-kilometers Line of Control (LoC) and 198- kilometers International Boundary (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir has taken a sharp turn for the worse ever since the ‘surgical strikes’ of September, 2016. There were as many as 860 ceasefire violations (CFVs) along the LoC and another 120 along the IB in 2017, the highest-ever such tally in over 15 years. The number of CFVs has already touched 241 across the LoC in the first 36 days of this year, claiming the lives of nine Indian soldiers, as per Army statistics. Army chief General Bipin Rawat said the Pakistan Army is "suffering three to four times the number of casualties compared to us" in the CFVs. Given the current mood, these long and bloody tit-for-tat fire assaults across the border, with even light artillery guns, heavy mortars and anti-tank guided missiles often coming into play from both the sides, are not going to ebb anytime soon. A day after a young captain and three soldiers were killed in heavy shelling by Pakistani forces in Rajouri district, Army vice-chief Lieutenant General Sarath Chand on February 5 warned of strong retaliatory action to avenge the losses. "That (retaliation) goes without saying. I think I don't have to say that. (Our) action will speak for itself," he said. Added another senior officer, "Pakistan is hurt more than us...that's why the Pak Army refuses to give its casualty figures to its own Parliament. We estimate 130-140 Pak soldiers were killed in our cross-border firings and tactical operations last year." But Indian soldiers have also paid a heavy price. Of the 62 who laid down their lives in J&K last year, 15 were killed in CFVs, 17 in infiltration and other incidents along the LoC and 30 in counter-terrorism operations in the hinterland.
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February - 6 
The number of local youths joining militancy in Jammu and Kashmir went up to 126 in 2017, a sharp increase from 88 the year before, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti informed the Assembly in Jammu on February 6, reports Daily Excelsior. “As many as 66 youths joined militancy in 2015, 8
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The number of local youths joining militancy in Jammu and Kashmir went up to 126 in 2017, a sharp increase from 88 the year before, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti informed the Assembly in Jammu on February 6, reports Daily Excelsior. “As many as 66 youths joined militancy in 2015, 88 in 2016 and 126 in 2017,” the Chief Minister said while replying to a written question by National Conference (NC) leader Ali Mohammed Sagar. PTI had reported in December last year (2017) that 2017 had seen the highest number of local recruitments to various militant groups in seven years. This was denied by Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid. Data for the number of youths recruited is available from 2010. According to data placed before Parliament in March 2017, there has been a steady increase in the number of youths taking up arms in the Kashmir Valley from 2014 onwards, as compared to 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2010, 54 youths joined militancy. This dipped to 23 in 2011 and slipped further to 21 in 2012 and 16 in 2013. In 2014, the number shot up to 53 and went up to 66 in 2015 before touching 88 in 2016, according to the data. The spurt in locals joining militancy began after the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM)’s poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter in south Kashmir on July 8, 2016. Security officials feel there is a difference between present day militants and those of the early 1990s. The ideological conviction of the present lot is stronger than that of the terror groups during the early days, they said. There is concern that the Valley is witnessing a trend of ‘pan-Islamisation’, where young boys are opting for terrorism knowing full well that they are at the risk of being killed, the officials said. National Conference (NC) leader Ali Mohammed Sagar’s question in the Assembly also related to separatists detained in the past three years. According to Mehbooba, certain separatist leaders, including two women, were detained under provisions of the Public Safety Act (PSA) to prevent them from acting in any manner prejudicial to the security of the state or maintenance of the public order. The Chief Minister, who also holds the portfolio of the Home Department, said 2,694 people, including 96 women, are lodged in different jails of the State. The 228 convicted prisoners include eight women. Besides, there are 2,156 under trials, including 88 women. Of the 213 detained under the PSA and NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Acts, one is a woman, she said. She said details of prisoners (state subjects) lodged in various jails outside the state are not maintained by the Home Department. No person affiliated with any recognised political party is under preventive detention as on date, she added.
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February - 7 
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on February 7 said in the state Legislative Council that 12 militants in Jammu and Kashmir had shunned the path of violence and returned to the mainstream in the last three years, reports Daily Excelsior. From 2015 to 2017, 12 militants shunned the path of violence, but
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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on February 7 said in the state Legislative Council that 12 militants in Jammu and Kashmir had shunned the path of violence and returned to the mainstream in the last three years, reports Daily Excelsior. From 2015 to 2017, 12 militants shunned the path of violence, but none of them gave representations for their rehabilitation under the Rehabilitation Policy 2004, the Chief Minister said. The number of local youths joining militancy in Kashmir went up to 126 in 2017, a sharp increase from 88 in 2016, Mehbooba informed the House on February 6. “As many as 66 youths joined militancy in 2015, 88 in 2016 and 126 in 2017,” she said replying to a question by National Conference (NC)’s Ali Mohammed Sagar.
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February - 7 
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) has claimed responsibility for February 6’s attack on a Srinagar hospital during which gunmen shot dead two Policemen and freed a Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant brought for treatment in custody, reports Hindustan Times. In a nearly eight-minute audio released on Feb
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Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) has claimed responsibility for February 6’s attack on a Srinagar hospital during which gunmen shot dead two Policemen and freed a Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant brought for treatment in custody, reports Hindustan Times. In a nearly eight-minute audio released on February 7, Kashmir’s HM ‘commander’ Riyaz Naikoo claimed it was his men who raided the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) Hospital to free LeT terrorist Naveed Jhatt. Naikoo said Jhatt had ‘reached south Kashmir’ safely. On the killing of the two Policemen guarding Jhatt, Naikoo said, ‘They were forced to kill Kashmiris to free their Pakistani brother.’ Naikoo, who took over as HM ‘commander’ after Yasin Itoo’s death, added, “When we saw the children of the two policemen, we were heartbroken because we don’t want to kill any Kashmiri, but people who are aligning with India are forcing us to kill them.” The HM message pointing to collaboration between militant groups did not surprise the security establishment. Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid said such coordination was seen in many other attacks. “All the militants groups are now working together. It’s not just this incident. Lately, we have been seeing many joint attacks by various groups,” he added. The HM is primarily an indigenous group, while the LeT comprises Pakistani nationals who infiltrate into India. The HM mostly trains cadre in forests across Kashmir, while Lashkar terrorists get commando training across the border. LeT spokesperson Abdullah Ghazanwi acknowledged militant outfits were coordinating at all levels and commended Kashmiri militants for the hospital raid to free Jhatt and described it as a “historic” feat. “The incident was an outcome of close coordination and cooperation among various Mujahideen organisations,” Ghazanwi said in a WhatsApp text to the local media. Such collaboration is a departure from the earlier strategy of Pakistan-based outfits to claim credit for attacks, according to a police officer tracking militancy in the Valley. “Now, there is a concerted effort to give attacks on security forces a more local name. Pakistan-based outfits are also trying recruit more locals,” the officer added.
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February - 7 
Stone-pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir declined to 1,261 last year from 2,808 in 2016, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) on February 7, The Times of India. The unusually high cases of stone-pelting incidents in 201
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Stone-pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir declined to 1,261 last year from 2,808 in 2016, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) on February 7, The Times of India. The unusually high cases of stone-pelting incidents in 2016 were largely on account of violent protests that broke out after the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) terrorist Burhan Wani in an encounter in July of that year. The total stone-pelting incidents recorded in 2015 were 730. Hansraj Ahir, in written reply to another question in the Rajya Sabha, said 13 protesters were killed in 2016 due to pellets fired at them, while there were four fatalities from pellets last year (2017). All the 13 killings in 2016 pertained to the four months of unrest following Wani's killing. Ahir said the central Government had constituted an expert committee in July 26, 2016 to explore possible alternatives to pellet guns as non-lethal weapons. The recommendations of the committee were taken into account by the Government for appropriate implementation and accordingly, various measures, including the use of such as using Pelargonic Acid Vanillyl Amide (PAVA)-Chilli (shells and grenades) and STUN-LAC (shells and grenades) and tear smoke shells were used to disperse the unlawful violent protesters before the use of pellet guns, he said.
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February - 9 
Security agencies are on high alert across Jammu and Kashmir concerned about the possibility of a strike by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) to mark the fifth anniversary of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on February 9 (today), reports The Indian Express. “We are always on alert but Febru
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Security agencies are on high alert across Jammu and Kashmir concerned about the possibility of a strike by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) to mark the fifth anniversary of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru on February 9 (today), reports The Indian Express. “We are always on alert but February 9 and 11 are important days in Kashmir so we are taking extra precautions,’’ Director General of J&K Police (DGP) S P Vaid said. While the anniversary of Guru’s hanging is on February 9, Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) founder Maqbool Bhat was hanged in Tihar jail on February 11, 1984. A Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in north Kashmir said that though they (JeM cadres) are mostly concentrated in south Kashmir, the latest alert is that they may try and strike in north — particularly Sopore and Handwara. “There is no doubt that if we lower our guard even a bit, they will strike’, said Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir zone, Muneer Khan. He said that there are around 22 JeM militants active in the Valley of whom 15 are in South Kashmir while the rest in the north. “Though Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar are still bigger in numbers, Jaish has come to the forefront. After we killed Dujana and Ismail, Lashkar has become leaderless… that helped Jaish to take centre stage. All fidayeen attacks carried out over the last year were done by Jaish.” Khan said that Jaish’s revival in Kashmir took place after two of their groups infiltrated through Kupwara. “One big group infiltrated via Poonch (in Jammu province) too. This happened last August,’’ he said. “We have killed around 13 from those groups. The rest are still around”.
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February - 12 
The Army said on February 12 that the search operation was underway in its Sunjuwan camp, which was attacked by a group of suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants. “The search operation is still on (at the camp),” Jammu- based Army public relations officer Lieutenant Colonel Devender
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The Army said on February 12 that the search operation was underway in its Sunjuwan camp, which was attacked by a group of suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants. “The search operation is still on (at the camp),” Jammu- based Army public relations officer Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand said. Also, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Abdul Rehman Veeri on February 12 told the Legislative Assembly that the operation was in the final stages. As all three fidayeens (suicide squad) killed inside Sunjuwan Military Station have turned out to be Pakistanis, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) would approach Pakistan to take bodies of their nationals, reports Daily Excelsior on February 12. Sources said that bodies of all three slain fidayeens have been kept at the Military Hospital, Satwari after post-mortem and completion of all other legal formalities. “There was enough evidence with Jammu and Kashmir Police that all three fidayeens killed during two days operation were Pakistani nationals. The evidence has been forwarded to the MEA through official channels. “The External Affairs Ministry would now take up the issue of handing over bodies of slain militants to Pakistan by giving evidence that the militants belonged to that country,” sources said, adding that the bodies will not be buried till Pakistan gives its response. They said the bodies will be buried only if Pakistan refuses to take them, said source.
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February - 13 
The Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh was on February 13 reported to have directed for strengthening entire security apparatus in the hinterland of Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of two consecutive Fidayeen(suicide) attacks in Jammu and Srinagar and another thwarted Fidayeen atte
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The Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh was on February 13 reported to have directed for strengthening entire security apparatus in the hinterland of Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of two consecutive Fidayeen(suicide) attacks in Jammu and Srinagar and another thwarted Fidayeen attempt at Domana as he held second high level review of security situation in the State in as many days in the Union capital, reports Daily Excelsior. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, top officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) in charge Jammu and Kashmir and heads of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) were present at the meeting that was chaired by Rajnath and lasted more than an hour in which situation prevailing in the State in the wake of twin terror attacks and the borders was discussed threadbare.Sources said that the Central Government has offered deployment of National Security Guards (NSGs) in some of the security camps, located in the sensitive areas of the State, which could become soft targets for the militants. Sources said Rajnath has directed for enhanced surveillance along nakas (checkpoints), which were close to security installations to ensure that the militants are trapped before they could strike or enter the camps to cause casualties. Alert Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Sentry at Karan Nagar, Srinagar had reacted immediately on February 12 and thwarted attack on the camp after which the militants intruded into a building and were killed on February 13. Similarly, Army thwarted a suspected Fidayeen attack at their camp in Domana on February 13. It was also pointed out that two militants died in a road accident in Kashmir on February 12 as they were over speeding to escape a naka. However, according to sources, the UMHA has taken note of the fact that four militants along with arms, ammunition and explosives managed to reach Sunjuwan Military Station, located very close to Jammu City and attacked the Military Station, causing seven casualties-six Army personnel and a civilian.
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February - 14 
Northern Command chief Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu on February 14 said that three major militant groups including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) have joined hands whether it’s Kashmir Valley or Jammu and are jumping from one outfit to another to ca
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Northern Command chief Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu on February 14 said that three major militant groups including Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) have joined hands whether it’s Kashmir Valley or Jammu and are jumping from one outfit to another to carry out terror attacks and declared that anyone, who picks up arms and is against the State, is a terrorist and the Army will deal with him, reports Daily Excelsior. “Enemy is frustrated and is trying soft targets. When they fail at border, they attack camps,” Lieutenant General Anbu said. The top Army Commander maintained that situation in South Kashmir including Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts has considerably improved and though these areas were once called “liberated zones”, now the political leaders and elected representatives are moving freely there. At the same time, he cautioned that around 300 militants are camping at the border and launch pads on Pakistan side waiting for infiltration into the Indian Territory.Terming the misuse of social media by Pakistan as a ‘time bomb’, Lieutenant General Anbu said coming together of HM, LeT and JeM is a matter of concern for the security agencies but would be taken care of. “HM, LeT and JeM are hand in glove with each other after coming together in the later part of the last year. Though there is no differentiation as the terrorists keep jumping from one outfit to other and as far as we are concerned any one picking up the arms against the State is a terrorist and will be dealt with accordingly,” he said. He said all the three outfits coming together was definitely a matter of concern as if someone is weak or strong somewhere it will benefit the other. The Army Commander also expressed hope to reverse the trend of local youth joining terrorist ranks and said everybody has to play their role especially the civil society and the parents of such youth to bring them back to contain level of violence in the State.
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February - 15 
Army chief General Bipin Rawat on February 16 called upon the youths of Jammu and Kashmir to desist from terrorism and stone pelting and instead contribute in nation building process by joining Armed Forces, reports Daily Excelsior. He gave this advice to Jammu and Kashmir youth through student
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Army chief General Bipin Rawat on February 16 called upon the youths of Jammu and Kashmir to desist from terrorism and stone pelting and instead contribute in nation building process by joining Armed Forces, reports Daily Excelsior. He gave this advice to Jammu and Kashmir youth through students of the border district of Rajouri, who inter-acted with him in New Delhi on February 16 as part of their tour programme sponsored by the Indian Army from February 11 to 21. An official handout issued by the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said the Army chief shared his experiences with the students and motivated them to work hard and contribute actively in the nation building process. He called upon the youths to join the Indian Armed Forces and serve cause of the nation.
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February - 16 
Separately, a general alert was sounded in border town of Samba after suspicious movement of the militants was observed in Katli area early on February 16, adds Daily Excelsior. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Samba Anil Magotra said that joint teams of Army, Police, CRPF and other agenci
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Separately, a general alert was sounded in border town of Samba after suspicious movement of the militants was observed in Katli area early on February 16, adds Daily Excelsior. Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Samba Anil Magotra said that joint teams of Army, Police, CRPF and other agencies carried out the search operation in and around the area, where there were reports that movement of two suspected militants carrying arms and ammunition with them was reported. “Searches continued throughout the day but no contact with the militants was established,” sources said but added that security agencies remained on high alert all along the border areas of Samba and the town to ensure that the militants, if any, are neutralized before they could strike.
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February - 16 
The Army chief, who had returned from three-day tour of Nepal yesterday (February 15) and held high-level review of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir especially the Line of Control (LoC) in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, was reported to have told the youth that some “extern
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The Army chief, who had returned from three-day tour of Nepal yesterday (February 15) and held high-level review of security situation in Jammu and Kashmir especially the Line of Control (LoC) in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch, was reported to have told the youth that some “external forces”, a point towards Pakistan, were trying to misguide the youth of Jammu and Kashmir and that they shouldn’t fall in their trap as it would spoil their career. General Rawat advised the school children to desist from terrorism and stone pelting and reminded them that certain external forces are creating differences and misguiding the youths and that it was their (the students’) duty to thwart mischievous designs of the enemy as they have to build their career. “Terrorism has never benefitted anyone. It is only the common man who has to suffer because of these activities and we will not let it to happen,” the Army chief said while interacting with visiting students from schools of the border areas of Rajouri district in Jammu region.
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February - 16 
While attending a programme at Rohilakhand University in Uttar Pradesh on February 16, the Union Minister of Home Affairs (UMHA) Rajnath Singh has said that India is giving a befitting reply to Pakistan’s nefarious activities, reports Hindustan Times. Regarding the withdrawal of case
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While attending a programme at Rohilakhand University in Uttar Pradesh on February 16, the Union Minister of Home Affairs (UMHA) Rajnath Singh has said that India is giving a befitting reply to Pakistan’s nefarious activities, reports Hindustan Times. Regarding the withdrawal of cases against the stone-pelters in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), Rajnath Singh replied that the Government never favour to confine someone in jail but expect them to join back the mainstream. Actions will be taken against those who involved in wrong tactics.
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February - 18 
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on February 18 asked youth to shun violence as it will yield nothing except death and destruction, reports Daily Excelsior. Speaking to a public rally at Kund in Devsar in Kulgam District on February 18, Mehbooba asked against youth joining mili
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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on February 18 asked youth to shun violence as it will yield nothing except death and destruction, reports Daily Excelsior. Speaking to a public rally at Kund in Devsar in Kulgam District on February 18, Mehbooba asked against youth joining militancy as it will bring more troops and military camps to Kashmir. “If you will pick up one gun, 1000 guns are ready to fight you back. I came here to tell you that militancy will yield nothing. One thing will happen that Army camps will be established everywhere and it will take 100 years to remove these camps”, she said. Appealing youth to desist from going on the path of violence, the Chief Minister said world is witness to the fact that violence has not resolved any issues rather it gives birth to many more. “Resorting to more violence leads to a response which ultimately leaves behind scars only”, she said. Mehbooba appealed people to play their role in maintaining peace so that the process of dialogue and reconciliation is carried forward, more routes across Line of Control (LoC) in the State are opened and people on the both sides of the divide march together on the path of growth and progress. “Give me peace. I will purse dialogue, opening of routes like Kargil-Skardu, Jam-mu-Sialkote, Nows-hehra-Jhangar etc. If there is peace I wish people on both sides would march together on the path of growth and development”, she said in her address. She appealed youth to give peace a chance so that Government will open cross Line of Control roads like Government did in the past. “
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February - 18 
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been asked to probe the escape of dreaded Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammed Naveed JhattaliasAbu Hanzalla from a busy hospital in Srinagar, will investigate conspiracy angles, including how he got ‘favourable orders’ from doctors
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which has been asked to probe the escape of dreaded Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist Mohammed Naveed JhattaliasAbu Hanzalla from a busy hospital in Srinagar, will investigate conspiracy angles, including how he got ‘favourable orders’ from doctors and jail authorities, officials said in New Delhi, reportsDaily Excelsioron February 19. Senior Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) officials said that on the Centre’s advice, the State has already shifted 25 terrorists, of which 16 are Pakistanis, to various jails outside the Kashmir valley since the escape of 22-year-old Jhatt, a Pakistani national who infiltrated into the Valley in 2014. The officials said the NIA probe will disclose the conspiracy angle and ascertain how such a dreaded terrorist managed to get favourable orders from jail authorities and doctors.The UMHA has also asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government to conduct a detailed inquiry and submit a report within 15 days on measures required for revamping security of jails in the State on the basis of inputs received from security agencies. The NIA has already taken custody of five accused arrested in connection with Jhatt’s escape from the SMHS hospital and are at present on remand for seven days since February 16. The five accused were nabbed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police on February 8, two days after Jhatt escaped from the hospital. Jhatt had managed to escape on February 6 after at least two other militants attacked a police escort team at the hospital, where he was brought in for treatment.
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February - 19 
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Public Works Minister and official spokesman of the J&K Government Naeem Akhtar said that China is on its way to assuming a ‘much bigger role in Kashmir’ and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the group responsible for most of the terror attacks, has been veritab
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Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Public Works Minister and official spokesman of the J&K Government Naeem Akhtar said that China is on its way to assuming a ‘much bigger role in Kashmir’ and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), the group responsible for most of the terror attacks, has been veritably ‘adopted’ by Beijing, reports The Indian Express. It’s the ‘growing influence of China’ which has made it imperative to engage with Pakistan, he said. “Unlike earlier, the great game is literally being played inside Kashmir,” Akhtar, a senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, said. “The Kashmir issue isn’t limited to the fight between India and Pakistan now. There is another major factor involved. It isn’t Pakistan alone, it is China too. General (Bipin Rawat) said that the Army is ready to fight on both fronts. But there aren’t two fronts anymore. Now it is one single front, circling around. From Bhutan to Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh, Valley to Jammu, Sri Lanka and Maldives, it is all one front. Pakistan and China aren’t separate”. “All the big attacks inside J&K or even outside during last more than three years are attributed to Jaish-e-Mohammed, a group led by Masood Azhar,” said Akhtar. “How can one not see that he (Masood Azhar) has been adopted by China? There are reports of some action taken against Hafiz Saeed. What about Masood Azhar? Even a lesser figure like Salahudin has been listed as a global terrorist in UN but the great wall of China has been erected around Azhar. China has been regularly vetoing attempts to designate him (Azhar) as a terrorist in United Nations. Such things don’t happen without reason. Why only him? Why not others? Why didn’t China block such moves in UN against other people? The China connection needs to be understood”. “At this point, talking to Pakistan and initiating policies of reconciliation inside Kashmir is in the national interest. It is in our national interest that Pakistan doesn’t get irretrievably sucked up by China,’’ he said. “And when we say talk to Pakistan, we are addressing our own Central government because they have to take that step. We aren’t seeking anything from anybody other than the central government. That’s our right”.
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February - 20 
Also, Pakistan on February 20 summoned India's deputy high commissioner J P Singh in Islamabad in Pakistan to condemn the ‘unprovoked firing’ by Indian troops across the Line of Control (LoC) which killed an 8-year-old boy, reports The Times of India. Pakistan's Foreign Mini
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Also, Pakistan on February 20 summoned India's deputy high commissioner J P Singh in Islamabad in Pakistan to condemn the ‘unprovoked firing’ by Indian troops across the Line of Control (LoC) which killed an 8-year-old boy, reports The Times of India. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry claimed that the boy, Ayan Zahid, was killed after Indian troops opened fire on February 19 in Khuiratta Sector in the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). Pakistan army on February 19 claimed that at least two Indian soldiers were killed when it destroyed an army post that was used to kill the minor across the Line of Control, a claim rejected by the Indian Army as ‘baseless’. Director General (South Asia and SAARC) Mohammad Faisal summoned Singh and "condemned the unprovoked ceasefire violations" by Indian forces, the foreign office said in a statement. "The deliberate targeting of civilian populated areas especially children is indeed deplorable and contrary to human dignity, international human rights and humanitarian laws," Faisal said.He alleged that India committed more than 335 ceasefire violations along the LoC and the Working Boundary in 2018, resulting in the deaths of 15 civilians and injuries to 65 others. "This unprecedented escalation in ceasefire violations by India is continuing from the year 2017 when the Indian forces committed more than 1970 ceasefire violations," he said. Faisal said the ceasefire violations by India are a threat to regional peace and security and may lead to a strategic miscalculation. Faisal urged the Indian side to respect the 2003 ceasefire arrangement and investigate the repeated incidents of ceasefire violations, the statement said.
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February - 24 
Meanwhile, the Security Forces (SFs) are ‘well geared’ to fight militants in Jammu and Kashmir and would continue to work for peace and harmony in the state, a senior Army officer said on February 24, adds Daily Excelsior. Lieutenant General A K Bhatt, commander of Srinagar-based Ch
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Meanwhile, the Security Forces (SFs) are ‘well geared’ to fight militants in Jammu and Kashmir and would continue to work for peace and harmony in the state, a senior Army officer said on February 24, adds Daily Excelsior. Lieutenant General A K Bhatt, commander of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, said this after a high-level meeting of all security agencies in Awantipora in south Kashmir’s Pulwama District. The meeting was called to review intelligence gathering and operational preparedness. “Entire Chinar Corps, which includes not just the Army but all security forces, is well geared to fight against the terrorists and would continue working towards bringing peace and harmony in the region,” A K Bhatt said. Another Army official said officials from the security agencies interacted with an array of functional-level officers and reviewed the security situation in South Kashmir.
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February - 26 
Army on February 26 said that the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan are aimed at infiltrating militants, who in large numbers are waiting at launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), reports Daily Excelsior. General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinag
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Army on February 26 said that the recent ceasefire violations by Pakistan are aimed at infiltrating militants, who in large numbers are waiting at launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), reports Daily Excelsior. General officer Commanding (GoC) of Srinagar-based Chinar Corps, Lieutenant General A K Bhatt said reporters on the sidelines of a passing out parade at the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry Centre in Srinagar that this year due to less snow, militants might attempt early infiltration. “We have inputs of many infiltrators waiting at the launching pads and we think infiltration will start sooner this year because of less snow. But we are taking counter measures. One reason for the firing can be this (to push infiltrators). Whenever there is firing by Pakistan, it is certain there is an attempt to push infiltrators. The same thing happened in Kupwara and Tanghdar,” the GOC said. He added that the militants are waiting in groups of 30-40 at many places near the LoC in PoK. “The militants waiting across the LoC are in groups of 30-40 at many places from Lepa valley to Mandal area, near 161 brigade, Rampur, and other areas, he said.A K Bhatt said that Army will not open entire front but will retaliate wherever Pakistan indulges in aggressive action or pushes in infiltrators. “The cease fire violations, initiated by Pakistan, have been appropriately responded to. But I would also like to tell you it is more of a local affair where due to their actions we have reacted at specific places. We do not intend to open the entire front. Our only thing is that we will retaliate if Pakistan indulges in any aggressive action or pushes infiltrators across,” he said.
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February - 26 
Sources in Jammu and Kashmir Police said eyewitness accounts hint towards the role of a recent militant recruit, Esa Fazili. “There were apprehensions that Esa may have links with the Islamic State,” a senior Police officer privy to probe details said. “Yesterday’s [February
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Sources in Jammu and Kashmir Police said eyewitness accounts hint towards the role of a recent militant recruit, Esa Fazili. “There were apprehensions that Esa may have links with the Islamic State,” a senior Police officer privy to probe details said. “Yesterday’s [February 25] incident, and the IS claim, has given credence to such reports.” Sources said responsibility for the attack was first taken by the IS on a Telegram channel ‘Kashmir Villayah’. The Indian Express had earlier reported that the state police had found a few closed Telegram channels of the IS in Kashmir.A resident of Soura, Esa Fazili was studying engineering at Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah (BGSB) University in Rajouri before joining the militant ranks in August last year, sources said. They said Fazili had initially joined the Zakir Musa-led group of militants but when Zakir announced setting up Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al Qaeda affiliate, in Kashmir, Fazili had differences, as he was more inclined towards the Islamic State.Earlier in November 2017, Al Amaq had claimed that the IS had carried out an attack in Zakura, on Srinagar’s outskirts, in which a Policeman and a militant had been killed. The agency, however, had said that a Pakistani policeman was killed in the attack, raising doubts about its claim. The channel ‘Al-Qaraar’, investigation has found, also claimed that Srinagar militant Mugees Ahmad Mir, who was killed on November 17 last year in an encounter with the police, was the first militant of the terror outfit.
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February - 27 
The Central Government on February 27 sought to downplay the issue of presence of dreaded terror group Islamic State (IS) in Jammu and Kashmir saying it has no existence in the Valley, reports Daily Excelsior. “There is no physical infrastructure or manpower of the IS in the Valley. It do
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The Central Government on February 27 sought to downplay the issue of presence of dreaded terror group Islamic State (IS) in Jammu and Kashmir saying it has no existence in the Valley, reports Daily Excelsior. “There is no physical infrastructure or manpower of the IS in the Valley. It does not exist in the Valley,” a Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) spokesperson said in New Delhi. The Central Government’s assertion came after the terrorist group claimed responsibility for the killing of a Policeman, Farooq Ahmad Yatoo, in Jammu-Kashmir on February 25. Another official said Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) could be behind the attack on the Policeman, and Esha Fazali, a local militant who first joined the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and later shifted his allegiance to LeT, has emerged as the prime suspect.However, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) SP Vaid said in Srinagar that it was now clear that IS had carried out the attack and it is “indeed a worrying sign”. In November 2017, there were reports that the global terror organisation was involved in an encounter with Security Forces (SFs) in Srinagar where a terrorist, identified as Mugees, was killed and a Sub-Inspector, Imran Tak, lost his life. Amaq, which is the official news agency of IS, had claimed responsibility for that attack. Pictures of Mugees with the ISIS flag in the background surfaced on social media. Even his body was wrapped in the flag of the banned terror group during funeral. On the other hand, security officials had then claimed that Mugees belonged to an extremist group called Tehrik-ul- Mujahideen and was its Pulwama District ‘commander’.
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March - 4 
Army on March 4 interacted with the youth who were arrested earlier on the charges of stone pelting at Bandipora District, reports Daily Excelsior. An Army spokesman said the meet was aimed at analyzing the pulse of the youth and situation prevailing in the environment. “Youth came forwa
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Army on March 4 interacted with the youth who were arrested earlier on the charges of stone pelting at Bandipora District, reports Daily Excelsior. An Army spokesman said the meet was aimed at analyzing the pulse of the youth and situation prevailing in the environment. “Youth came forward and shared their future aspirations to succeed in life by working hard and regretted their immature and unethical act of pelting stones at security forces,” he said. “They actively came forward with their problems and areas where they requested for guidance from Security Forces (SFs). They were assured of constant assistance and support,” he added.
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March - 5 
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has also said that the four men were killed in a “crossfire". The ruling PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) MLA from Shopian, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, has called for a judicial probe into the incident saying that "no circumstances can justify these c
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Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has also said that the four men were killed in a “crossfire". The ruling PDP (Peoples Democratic Party) MLA from Shopian, Mohammad Yousuf Bhat, has called for a judicial probe into the incident saying that "no circumstances can justify these civilian killings
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March - 5 
The armed forces are retaliating appropriately to ceasefire violations by Pakistan army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, besides effectively dealing with terrorists in the State, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on March 5, reports Daily Excelsior. She also said that the
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The armed forces are retaliating appropriately to ceasefire violations by Pakistan army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir, besides effectively dealing with terrorists in the State, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on March 5, reports Daily Excelsior. She also said that the Government has issued broad guidelines to ramp up security at defence establishments, besides strengthening and streamlining the response mechanism in the event of any terror attack. The Defence Minister said this in Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of Indian Parliament) while replying to questions relating to security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. She said 209 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan army were reported along the LoC in January while the number was 142 in the first 12 days of February. A total of 860 incidents of ceasefire violations had taken place last year (2017). “Appropriate response to these ceasefire violations has been carried out wherever necessary,” said Sitharaman, adding the defences along the border are periodically fortified to withstand any attacks. The Defence Minister said terrorists and their handlers have resorted to a strategy of spreading terror and bring lawlessness in Jammu and Kashmir. “The security forces are alive to these challenges and are tackling them in an effective manner,” she said. To a separate question, she said since the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, inputs from various intelligence agencies indicate the continued likelihood of such strikes. “However, presently, there is no specific input pertaining to an increased threat to the country from the sea routes,” she said.
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March - 6 
Also, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti took a review of the security and law and order situation at a high level meeting of officers in Srinagar on March 6, reports Daily Excelsior. During the meeting, she impressed upon all the security agencies to work in synergy to ensure that Standard Operating Pr
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Also, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti took a review of the security and law and order situation at a high level meeting of officers in Srinagar on March 6, reports Daily Excelsior. During the meeting, she impressed upon all the security agencies to work in synergy to ensure that Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) as laid out should be strictly adhered to and in no way be these violated or overlooked. Every aberration in this regard, she reminded the officers, amounts to furthering the evil designs of elements inimical to peace in the State. Mehbooba advised heads of all security agencies to ensure that no collateral damage is allowed to happen during security operations and care should be taken that common masses are not put to inconvenience during these operations. She asked the heads of civil, Police, Army and other security agencies to maximize their public outreach to ensure that the grievances of people on the ground are listened to and addressed promptly.
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March - 6 
At least 15 young Kashmiri militants have returned home respecting appeals from their families after footballer Majid Khan renounced insurgency last November (2017) on his mother’s request, said Jammu and Kashmir Police on March 6, reports Hindustan Times. According to Director General of Poli
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At least 15 young Kashmiri militants have returned home respecting appeals from their families after footballer Majid Khan renounced insurgency last November (2017) on his mother’s request, said Jammu and Kashmir Police on March 6, reports Hindustan Times. According to Director General of Police (DGP) Shesh Paul Vaid, the latest among these returnees this March were two young men who responded to their parents’ appeal to leave the path of violence. “Some 15 boys have returned since Khan’s return. Every drop counts. Whatever little it is, their lives and their families are saved from getting ruined,” Vaid said on March 6. Police too have a hand in bringing the militants back to society. Officers talk to the families of known militants to persuade them to leave the armed struggle. “If a youngster agrees, he contacts his family and we are kept in the loop,” Vaid said. The identity of these returnees is kept secret to keep them from harm’s way. Kashmir has been recording sort of a trend in militants returning to their families after 20-year-old Khan, who had joined the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant group, left the organisation on November 16, 2017 after his mother’s tearful plea to him to come back home in a video that was widely shared on social media. A resident of Anantnag in south Kashmir, Khan was a bright student and a popular goalkeeper in the local team before he joined the LeT, which put his family and neighbours in considerable grief. The LeT said he was “permitted” to leave on his mother’s request. Police believe the return of youngsters was having “some effect” on local militancy. “Obviously, as people come back, there is a possibility of the level of violence coming down,” Vaid said. According to the DGP, there has been a “slight drop” in the number of Kashmiris joining militancy this year compared to 2017. “The reasons can be quite a few. One is that a lot of terrorists were killed, which acted as a deterrent, and another thing is that we are talking to families of youngsters. A lot of persuasion is going on,” he said. As many as 206 militants were killed by Security Forces (SFs) in Jammu and Kashmir in 2017 of which 85 were residents of the state, according to Police records.
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March - 6 
In the meantime, All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who continues to be under house arrest in the backdrop of killings in Shopian on March 6 said that the situation in Kashmir is extremely grim and fast deteriorating, adds Daily Excelsior. Mirwaiz said tha
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In the meantime, All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq who continues to be under house arrest in the backdrop of killings in Shopian on March 6 said that the situation in Kashmir is extremely grim and fast deteriorating, adds Daily Excelsior. Mirwaiz said that rampant killings has become the order of the day. He said, “as no responsibility is fixed for these killings and there is no accountability, the highly worrisome reality is that the lives of the people of Kashmiris is perpetually at great risk (sic)”. Mirwaiz said that the situation on the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) is no better with civilians and soldiers dying on both sides and can anytime escalate into a full scale war.
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March - 6 
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) informed the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of Indian Parliament) on March 6 that there was no specific intelligence input about terrorists planning to attack the Sunjuwan army camp in Jammu District, reports The Hindu. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansra
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The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) informed the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of Indian Parliament) on March 6 that there was no specific intelligence input about terrorists planning to attack the Sunjuwan army camp in Jammu District, reports The Hindu. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir informed Parliament that “terrorists are helped by local Over Ground Workers (OGWs)” in Kashmir. “Though there were general inputs that militants may attack vital installations/camps in the Jammu region, there were no specific inputs about this attack. All such inputs are shared amongst all concerned agencies. Security arrangements are periodically revised based on emerging threats and intelligence inputs,” Minister of State Hansraj Gangaram Ahir informed Parliament. Ahir said 38 terrorist incidents were reported from Kashmir Valley and two incidents from the Jammu region till February 15 this year (2018). In 2017, eight incidents of terrorist violence were reported from Jammu and 334 were reported to have occurred in the Kashmir Valley. “The Government has also continuously encouraged policies to mainstream the youth, including providing employment opportunities to wean them away from militancy. INR 80,068 crore has been announced under the PM Development Package, 2015,” Mr. Ahir said.
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March - 7 
A Parliamentary Panel has asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) to check the ‘disturbing’ trend of local youths in Jammu and Kashmir joining militancy and ‘choke’ the financing and supply of arms to terrorist outfits, reports Daily Excelsior on March 8. The Parliame
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A Parliamentary Panel has asked the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) to check the ‘disturbing’ trend of local youths in Jammu and Kashmir joining militancy and ‘choke’ the financing and supply of arms to terrorist outfits, reports Daily Excelsior on March 8. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, headed by senior Congress leader P Chidambaram, also observed that there is a ‘sinister and complex connection’ between the simultaneous rise in stone-pelting incidents and fidayeen’ (suicide) attacks on the establishments of Security Forces (SFs). The committee, in its report submitted to Parliament, said it was aware of the disturbing trend of recruiting and training of local youths by the militants in the light of the numerous attempts foiled by the SFs. “There has been a rise in the number of law and order incidents, particularly incidents of stone pelting which seems to have become a regular feature in some parts of Kashmir. Numerous incidents of picketing of Police Stations and snatching of rifles from police and paramilitary personnel point towards local sourcing of arms,” it said. The panel said, while the law and order incidents have kept the SFs busy, the militants, meanwhile, have found time to reorganise themselves and perpetrate terrorist attacks on the forces. “The committee recommends that the Ministry must work towards comprehensively breaking this nexus through a multi-pronged strategy that encompasses preventing the youth from joining the militant ranks, choking the financing and supply of arms to terrorist outfits and simultaneously launching counter insurgency operations throughout the Kashmir region to identify and capture the existing militants,” it said.
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March - 7 
The Central Government’s special representative for Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma on March 7 appealed to the Security Forces (SFs) to “show restraint” in the Valley and put an end to “civilian killings”, describing the recent spate of violence in the region as a &
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The Central Government’s special representative for Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma on March 7 appealed to the Security Forces (SFs) to “show restraint” in the Valley and put an end to “civilian killings”, describing the recent spate of violence in the region as a “setback”, reports Hindustan Times. “Civilian killings must stop. The security forces must show restraint and not resort to disproportionate firing,’’ Dineshwar Sharma, a former chief of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), said in an interview. “I was hoping for a better summer but violence has come as a setback. Amongst the districts in south Kashmir, Shopian is particularly alienated and angry. We must be sensitive while dealing with the people of Kashmir,’’ he added.
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March - 7 
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on March 7 informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) that there were 4,799 stone-pelting incidents and 872 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in past three years, reports Daily Excelsior. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir sa
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The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir on March 7 informed the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) that there were 4,799 stone-pelting incidents and 872 terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir in past three years, reports Daily Excelsior. Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said 730 incidents of stone pelting were reported in 2015. In 2016, he said, 2,808 such incidents were reported, and in 2017, the incidents numbered 1,261. In a written reply to a question, he said there were 208 incidents of terrorist violence in Jammu and Kashmir in 2015, 322 in 2016 and 342 such incidents in 2017. The Government on March 7 said it had sanctioned a INR 2,000-crore compensation package for the refugees from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) living in Jammu and Kashmir. In a written statement, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir told the Rajya Sabha that the financial package was sanctioned on December 22, 2016. He said 36,384 families were provided INR 5.5 lakh each. “The Government of India provided a financial assistance of Rs 5.5 lakh per family to 36,384 displaced families of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) area (1947) and Chhamb (1965 and 1971) living in Jammu and Kashmir,” Ahir said. He added that based on the details provided by the Jammu and Kashmir Government, the Ministry had disbursed a total amount of INR 465.5 crore to 9,537 families directly to their Aadhaar-linked bank accounts up to last month. Asked whether any financial compensation package had been provided to the Hindu refugees who had migrated from Bangladesh, the Minister said, “No such proposal is under consideration.” Also, twenty-nine Army personnel lost their lives in nine terror attacks on defence stations and Army camps in Jammu and Kashmir since 2015, the Government informed the Lok Sabha on March 7, adds Daily Excelsior. Twenty terrorists were killed and two civilians lost their lives in the attacks, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre said in a written response to a question in the Lok Sabha. The highest casualty was in 2016, when a group of terrorists stormed an Army camp in Uri, resulting in the death of 26 personnel. This year, one terror attack was reported on an Army camp in Jammu, claiming the lives of six Army personnel.
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March - 7 
There were 777 incidents of infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir in which 94 terrorists were killed by Security Forces (SFs) in past two years, the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) was informed on March 7, reports Daily Excelsior. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju sa
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There were 777 incidents of infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir in which 94 terrorists were killed by Security Forces (SFs) in past two years, the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) was informed on March 7, reports Daily Excelsior. Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju said there were 406 cases of infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir in 2017 in which 59 terrorists were killed. In 2016, there were 371 incidents of infiltration into the State in which 35 militants were killed and three were arrested, he said. Replying to a written question, Rijiju said there were 16 incidents of infiltration into Punjab in which seven terrorists were killed and 11 others were apprehended in past two years.The Minister said SFs have been carrying out effective domination through round-the-clock surveillance, patrolling, border ambushes and by deploying observation posts along the International Borders (IB) of the country. “The riverine segments of international borders of the country are being patrolled and dominated with the help of water crafts/speed boats/floating Border Out Posts (BOPs) of Border Security Force (BSF) water wings,” he said. Rijiju said introduction of force multipliers and hi-tech surveillance equipment fully-equipped with day and night vision devices have enhanced the border domination. “Vulnerability mapping of entire border has been made a continuous process based on which sensitive spots are identified and adequate measures are taken to further strengthen security in these spots,” he said. The Minister said it has also been decided to deploy technological solutions in the form of Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS), on a pilot basis to begin with, in different terrains on India-Pakistan border and India-Bangladesh border. The technological solutions are based on integration of sensors and surveillance equipment like radars, day and night vision cameras etc. In a network architecture with command and control system, he said.
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March - 10 
The Border Security Force (BSF) is hopeful that it will be able to plug the gaps in ‘vulnerable areas’ along the country’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh in the next three to five years, BSF Director General (DG) KK Sharma has said, reports Daily Excelsior on March 11. The BS
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The Border Security Force (BSF) is hopeful that it will be able to plug the gaps in ‘vulnerable areas’ along the country’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh in the next three to five years, BSF Director General (DG) KK Sharma has said, reports Daily Excelsior on March 11. The BSF plans to put up a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) in areas along the India-Bangladesh border, where it is difficult to put up a fence due to the nature of the terrain as well as check cross-border infiltration and smuggling, Sharma said. CIBMS is an integration of a number of new gadgets and technologies to ensure electronic surveillance of borders. These provide feeds to BSF personnel at the border outposts, where monitors would be installed. In case of a threat, quick reaction BSF teams will intervene and neutralize it, the official said. “As of now, the CIBMS project will be rolled out in the vulnerable areas of India’s border with Bangladesh and Pakistan. We plan to implement the system within the next 3-5 years,” he said in an interview. A pilot project of the CIBMS is underway in two 5-km patches along the India-Pakistan border at Jammu and along the India-Bangladesh border at Dhubri in Assam. Asked about the plans to cover the unfenced border areas between India and Bangladesh, Sharma said, “Fences will be erected wherever we can. Where we cannot erect a fence because of the terrain, the gap will be covered by the CIBMS”. On the smuggling of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) at the border areas, the BSF DG said the FICN trade has been on the decline since demonetisation and introduction of new currency. The security features in the new notes are very hard to copy and that is why the amount of FICN seized is not as much as it used to be before demonetisation, he said. Sharma lauded the pilot of the ‘Crime Free Zone’ project along the Bangladesh border in the North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal and said it will be replicated in other parts of the Indo-Bangladesh border. In a bid to control cross-border crimes and smuggling, the BSF and its Bangladesh counterpart, the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), had jointly launched the ‘Crime Free Zone” project on March 9. The BSF border outposts—Gunarmath and Kalyani—and BGB border outposts—Putkhali and Daulatpur—have been declared as “crime-free” zones. The aim of the project is to make the area free from illegal, anti-social and criminal activities by integrating efforts of the BSF and BGB in assistance with the district administration, NGOs and border population of both the countries, Sharma added.
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March - 11 
The killing of Mufti Waqas, the mastermind of five recent suicide attacks in Jammu and Kashmir including the Sunjuwan strike, has dealt a severe blow to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) as he was planning to target other parts of India, officials said, reports Daily Excelsior on March 12. Barely 21 kilometers
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The killing of Mufti Waqas, the mastermind of five recent suicide attacks in Jammu and Kashmir including the Sunjuwan strike, has dealt a severe blow to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) as he was planning to target other parts of India, officials said, reports Daily Excelsior on March 12. Barely 21 kilometers away from the State capital of Srinagar, Waqas, who moved around under the ‘code name’ of Abu Ansar, was killed in one of the most swift operations carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Army on March 5 in Haitwara village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama District. After February 10 attack at the Sunjuwan Army camp in Jammu, Waqas, an Afghan war veteran, was high on the radar of security agencies as he was giving continuous updates to ‘handlers’ in Pakistan and also assuring them that ‘the next attack’ would be in hinterland of the country. A crack team was formed by the Police with the specific job to trail Waqas — dubbed as a ‘killing machine’ for his skills in motivating youths to become suicide attackers. It was found that he was instrumental in brainwashing and radicalising Fardeen Khanday (16) and Manzoor Ahmed Baba (21), to turn them into ‘fidayeens’ (suicide bombers). The duo along with a Pakistani national stormed a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) camp on the intervening night of December 30 and 31, 2017, in South Kashmir’s Lethpora, killing five security personnel. All the three terrorists were killed in the retaliatory operation of the Security Forces (SFs). Waqas had the capability to create many more suicide bombers, officials said. A search was already on for three Kashmiri youths who had joined JeM last year, they said. Swayam Prakash Pani, who has the distinction of becoming the youngest Inspector General (IG) of militancy-hit Kashmir valley, refused to comment on the details of the March 5 operation which ended barely in 20 minutes. “I can only say that after eliminating Noor Mohammed Tantray, Tallah Rashid and now Waqas, Jaish has suffered significantly,” Pani said. Officials in the know of the developments said Waqas’s next target was to hit a strategic installation in the hinterland. His phone, which was sent for analysis, showed that he was constantly in touch with a few people believed to be Jaish terrorists. After the news of his death spread, tributes were paid to Waqas by Jaish cadres for his 11-month tenure in Kashmir.
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March - 13 
As many as 60 incidents of terrorist violence have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir this year in which 15 Security Forces (SFs) personnel and 17 terrorists were killed, the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of Indian Parliament) was informed on March 13, reports Hindustan Times. Union Minister of State for
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As many as 60 incidents of terrorist violence have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir this year in which 15 Security Forces (SFs) personnel and 17 terrorists were killed, the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of Indian Parliament) was informed on March 13, reports Hindustan Times. Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said the 60 incidents had taken place till March 4 this year, as against 39 such incidents during the same period last year. Replying to a written question, he said 15 security personnel, 17 terrorists and two civilians had been killed till March 4 this year. During the same period last year, 10 security personnel, 26 terrorists and four civilians were killed. “The state of Jammu and Kashmir has been affected by terrorist violence that is sponsored and supported from across the border. The levels of terrorist violence in the hinterland of J&K are linked to the infiltration from across the border,” he said. Ahir said there were 16 attempts by terrorists to enter Jammu and Kashmir in January this year. Four infiltrating terrorists were killed by security forces, while infiltrators managed to cross into the state on five occasions. Pakistan violated the ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir 633 times in the first two months of this year in which 10 security personnel and 12 civilians were killed, Ahir said. He said 432 incidents of ceasefire violation have taken place along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir and 201 such incidents along the International Border till February this year. There were 860 incidents of ceasefire violation along the LoC and 111 incidents of ceasefire violation along the IB in Jammu and and Kashmir in 2017, he said in a written reply to a question. Ahir also said that 12 civilians were killed and 59 others were injured in such incidents this year.
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March - 13 
Ceasing of hostilities between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir must be on Indian terms, Army chief Bipin Rawat said March 13, noting that Pakistani forces have been feeling the “pain” of Indian Army’s offensive along the border, reports Daily
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Ceasing of hostilities between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir must be on Indian terms, Army chief Bipin Rawat said March 13, noting that Pakistani forces have been feeling the “pain” of Indian Army’s offensive along the border, reports Daily Excelsior. He alluded to a rise in cross-border firing by India as part of a larger strategy to put pressure on Pakistan. “So, we have raised the ante by resorting to cross border firing which is leading to violations of ceasefire. “Earlier, the burden was only on us to man the border and remain alert and now the Pakistan Army is facing the same pain. They also have to now remain alert on the border,” the Army chief said. Rawat said Pakistani posts supporting infiltrators must be “punished” and asserted that the increase in the ceasefire violations had compelled Pakistan to deploy more forces along the Line of Control, which was earlier in the hinterland or peace postings. Recalling the time when borders were relatively calm and the ceasefire agreement was not being violated, Rawat said despite this the infiltration continued and there was no pressure on the Pakistani Army who aided and abetted infiltration across the LoC. “Let me assure you, it is not just the Indian Army which is (alone) facing the brunt. People sitting across the LoC are suffering far more damage than what we are suffering,” the Army chief said. Government intelligence sources last year had said the Indian Army killed 138 Pakistan Army personnel in 2017 in tactical operations and retaliatory cross-border firings along the LoC. In a response to a question in the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of Indian Parliament) last year, Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir had said in 2017, Pakistan violated ceasefire 881 times along the LoC and the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, killing 30 people. This was little less than double the ceasefire violations in 2016. The truce between India and Pakistan along the International Border and the LoC came into force in November 2003.
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March - 14 
Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, the al Qaeda cell in Kashmir, on March 14 claimed that one of the terrorists killed in an encounter with Security Forces (SFs) in Anantnag District on March 12 was from Hyderabad in Telangana, reports The Times of India. Three terrorists were killed in an encounter with SFs in
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Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, the al Qaeda cell in Kashmir, on March 14 claimed that one of the terrorists killed in an encounter with Security Forces (SFs) in Anantnag District on March 12 was from Hyderabad in Telangana, reports The Times of India. Three terrorists were killed in an encounter with SFs in Hakoora area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag District on March 12 morning. While two of them were identified as Eisa Fazili of Soura, in Srinagar, and Syed Owais Shafi of Kokernag, Anantnag, the identity of the third slain terrorist was not known. However, a local news agency quoted on March 14 an Ansar statement identifying him as Muhammad Taufeeq of Hyderabad. “Taufeeq started his jihadi journey in 2017 after making hijrah (migration) from India’s Hyderabad city to the mountains of Kashmir and was among the first in the ranks of Ansar,” the al Qaeda cell’s statement read. The statement said the purported Hyderabadi was known by two noms de guerre — Sultan Zabul Al-Hindi and Abu Zarr Al-Hindi. Ansar, headed by Zakir Bhat, alias Zakir Musa, also released an undated picture of the purported south Indian terrorist with the outfit’s deputy chief, Rehan Khan. Terming Taufeeq as a “descendant and heir of mujahid and conqueror of India Mehmood Ghaznavi”, the Ansar said on its official website, Al-Nasr: “We congratulate Islamic ummah on the martyrdom of the mujahid and preacher Muhammad Taufeeq. His martyrdom is a cry of truth for the Muslims of India.” Meanwhile, a press note from the Hyderabad Police said that an al Qaeda militant Mohammed Toufeeq, who was killed in an encounter in Hakkora area of Anantnag District of South Kashmir on March 12, was from Manuguru of Bhadradri Kothagudem District, adds Telangana Today. The press note said the 26-six-year-old Toufeeq was radicalized into the Islamic State (IS) ideology through social media and went to Kashmir to participate in terrorist activities of IS. He was not wanted in any criminal cases in the State. Police sources said Taufeeq came to Kashmir a year ago and joined al Qaeda’s Kashmir unit in 2017. It is learned that he was one of the militants who were in the top ranks of the outfit. Police sources said Taufeeq’s last rites were performed in a graveyard at Baramulla District in Kashmir on March 13 night as no one claimed the body.
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March - 18 
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on March 18 urged religious leaders to stop preaching Jihad in Masjids (Mosques) and said that there are no short cuts to paradise, reports Daily Excelsior. Mehbooba urged the Imams (prayer leaders) not to teach the children short route to paradise. “There are no
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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on March 18 urged religious leaders to stop preaching Jihad in Masjids (Mosques) and said that there are no short cuts to paradise, reports Daily Excelsior. Mehbooba urged the Imams (prayer leaders) not to teach the children short route to paradise. “There are no shortcuts to paradise. Picking up gun won’t take anyone to paradise. The paradise lies beneath the feet of parents,” she said in Srinagar while addressing the Imams, religious scholars and executives of J&K Muslim Wakf Board. She said Kashmir is a political issue and not a religious one and urged the religious leaders should stop preaching Jihad in mosques. She asked them to teach the youth what they teach their own children at home. She urged Imams of the Masjids to preach real Islam and told them that they can make a huge contribution as they are directly interacting with the people on daily basis.The Chief Minister appealed to religious scholars, Imams and custodians of shrines to lead the society in getting it out of the difficult issues by showing the right path as they have been ordained. Mehbooba said Islam is a religion of peace which laid down guidelines not for Muslims alone but for entire humanity and even for flora and fauna. She said Islam has laid ample emphasis on seeking knowledge and the Ulema (religious scholars)should spread this message so that Muslim community is able to get itself out of the difficulties it has been in for quite a time. The Chief Minister appealed the Imams and Ulema to come forward and help the younger generation by showing them the right path as enshrined in the Holy Book and the teachings of the Prophet. “Unfortunately Muslims around the world have been caught in a web of violence and it is utmost responsibility of the religious scholars to help the society from getting drifted on a wrong track”, she said.
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March - 18 
General Officer Commanding (GOC) counter-insurgency Kilo Force, Major General A K Singh on March 18 said the majority of the youth in North Kashmir are not influenced to join militancy as they understand that guns and violence is no solution, reports Daily Excelsior. Speaking to reporters on the sid
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General Officer Commanding (GOC) counter-insurgency Kilo Force, Major General A K Singh on March 18 said the majority of the youth in North Kashmir are not influenced to join militancy as they understand that guns and violence is no solution, reports Daily Excelsior. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function in North Kashmir’s Handwara area of Kupwara District, the GOC said that small percentage of youth are picking up arms and many youths are making their mark in sports and education. He said that majority of the youth understand that guns cannot solve any problem. A K Singh said that Army is providing every possible help for the youth. “Army is providing every possible help to the youth who work hard for the betterment of their future. We have launched several initiatives in this direction and have received an overwhelming response from the youth, “he said.Asked why youth are joining militancy in North Kashmir’s Lolab area despite being the strong Army presence, he said: “Only two people have joined the militancy. There are hundreds of other youths there who have stayed away from militancy and Army is providing them all the support they need.” The GOC said Army is trying to bring those people into the mainstream who have joined militancy. “The families of these militants have also requested them to return home and termed their step as wrong”, he said. About the number of militants waiting on the launch pads across the border, Singh said that militants are ready on launch pads for infiltration. “I won’t be able to tell you the exact number but militants present there are prepared to infiltrate through the border. The Army is ready to foil any such attempts”, he said.
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March - 19 
Senior Hurriyat Conference leader, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, on March 19 replaced Syed Ali Shah Geelani as the chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH), reports Daily Excelsior. A TeH spokesman in a statement said that the TeH led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani on March 19 held a meeting at its office in Srinag
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Senior Hurriyat Conference leader, Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, on March 19 replaced Syed Ali Shah Geelani as the chairman of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH), reports Daily Excelsior. A TeH spokesman in a statement said that the TeH led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani on March 19 held a meeting at its office in Srinagar and elected senior member Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai as the party chairman. While addressing the members of Shoora, Geelani said that merely holding a position without practical contribution is injustice. “It is injustice not only with the post but the conscience as well, so today I willfully step-down from the chairmanship and advise the shoora to arrange an alternative at the earliest,” he said. He further said that the timely cooperation of members helped him to survive testing times. “For last 8 years, I have survived jails, interrogations and domestic hardships, physical and psychological onslaught. The continuous house arrest, restrictions on the interactions with my party colleagues has dented the function of the organization”, he said. He extended his fullest cooperation and sincere wishes to the would-be leadership of the organization.
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March - 20 
The Government has no plans to withdraw or amend ‘the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990’, which gives the Security Forces (SFs) immunity and special rights in carrying out operations in disturbed areas, Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said o
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The Government has no plans to withdraw or amend ‘the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990’, which gives the Security Forces (SFs) immunity and special rights in carrying out operations in disturbed areas, Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on March 20, reports Daily Excelsior. The Minister, however, said in the Lok Sabha (the Lower House of Indian Parliament) that a proposal is under consideration to make the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act [AFSPA], 1958 more operationally effective and humane. “There is no proposal to amend the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990. There is no proposal under consideration of Government of India to withdraw the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act, 1990 from Jammu and Kashmir,” he said replying a written question. There has been a long-standing demand from various quarters in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast to withdraw the Act.
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March - 22 
Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Range, S P Pani on March 22 said that the operation was very difficult task for the SFs. Speaking to reporters on the sideline of the wreath laying ceremony at District Police Line (DPL) in Srinagar, the IGP informed that five militants were killed in the en
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Inspector General of Police (IGP) Kashmir Range, S P Pani on March 22 said that the operation was very difficult task for the SFs. Speaking to reporters on the sideline of the wreath laying ceremony at District Police Line (DPL) in Srinagar, the IGP informed that five militants were killed in the encounter while five SFs personnel including two Jammu and Kashmir Policemen and three Army troopers were killed in the gunfight. Asked about the identification of the militants, the IGP informed that all the militants were foreigners and the material that was recovered there indicated that they were affiliated with LeT. He also informed that a huge arms and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site at Kupwara. “The encounter that started in the dense forest was difficult task for the forces owing to the thick vegetation. But the forces very carefully completed the operation,” the IGP added.
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March - 22 
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 22 said it has attached INR 3 lakh cash of alleged terror funds in connection with its money laundering probe against terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) which operates in the Kashmir Valley, reports Daily Excelsior. The Central probe agency said that it att
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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 22 said it has attached INR 3 lakh cash of alleged terror funds in connection with its money laundering probe against terror outfit Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) which operates in the Kashmir Valley, reports Daily Excelsior. The Central probe agency said that it attached the cash, in Indian currency, after it was found that the money was the ‘proceeds of crime’ of terrorism and that it was to be delivered to hardcore militant Mohd Hussain Dar alias Raju by his associate Abdul Hamid Lone. “The attached amount was meant for militant activities,” the ED said in a statement. The agency had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) based on a December 2009 FIR registered by the Sopore Police in Jammu and Kashmir. The ED said that the Police had recovered and seized the INR 3 lakh from Manzoor Ahmed Shaikh’s Sopore-based bakery during a search operation. The operation was launched on specific information that certain militants were assembling there, the agency said.
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March - 26 
Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on March 26 called for neutralizing terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir through clean and people friendly operations and stressed for maintaining human rights for which the Indian Army is known at all costs and circumstances, reports Daily Excelsior. General Rawat
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Chief of Army Staff General Bipin Rawat on March 26 called for neutralizing terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir through clean and people friendly operations and stressed for maintaining human rights for which the Indian Army is known at all costs and circumstances, reports Daily Excelsior. General Rawat was in Nagrota, the headquarters of 16 Corps to address eleventh biennial conference of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), an event which he chaired himself. All General Officers Commanding (GOC) of counter-insurgency forces are attending the conference. “The Army chief outlined the present and future focus of operations aimed towards neutralized the terrorists through clean and people friendly operations in Jammu and Kashmir, where the troops have launched ‘Operation All Out’ and had eliminated all-time high over 200 militants last year and this year also they have achieved good successes by killing good number of ultras including some top commanders,” sources said. General Rawat emphasized the need for avoiding collateral damage during the anti-militancy operations and ensuring dignity and human rights of the people at all the times
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March - 26 
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on March 26 that majority of youth in Kashmir are part of the mainstream development journey of India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they do not wish to be deprived of the enormous opportunities being availed by their counterparts and peers across the
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Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh said on March 26 that majority of youth in Kashmir are part of the mainstream development journey of India, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they do not wish to be deprived of the enormous opportunities being availed by their counterparts and peers across the country, reports Daily Excelsior. At the same time, he said, a keen endeavour is continuously going on to bring back into mainstream, a few of the youth who have gone stray. But, he hastened to add, there can be no leniency or premium on terrorism and a terrorist is to be treated like terrorist. Dr Jitendra Singh was responding to queries about the new Hurriyat chief Ashraf Sehrai’s refusal to dissuade his son from joining the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ranks.Lauding the role of Security Forces (SFs) in Kashmir, Dr Jitendra Singh said, even while following hot pursuit against terrorists and Pak sponsored militancy, the security personnel were constantly striving to motivate the local youth not to fall prey to false propaganda or allurement to join the militant ranks. The majority of Kashmir youth today, Dr Jitendra Singh observed, have already become an essential part of New India’s growth story. He said, this is evident from the fact that for the last few years, invariably every year, there is a topper in Civil Services/IAS (Indian Administrative Service) exam from most terror affected districts of Kashmir valley. For example, in 2016 it was 2nd topper from Anantnag and in the latest exam of 2017 it was the 10th topper, he added. Similarly, he said, nearly 20 young boys and girls from Kashmir valley cleared the prestigious IIT/JEE exams last year. Dr Jitendra Singh also hailed the Modi Government’s decision to raise two battalions of security forces exclusively for the recruitment of youth living in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
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March - 28 
On the issue of withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) he asserted that the Government is yet to arrive on a unanimous decision on partial withdrawal of AFSPA, and said all agencies, except the Army, were in favor of revocation of this Act. He, however, said that AFSPA will be remov
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On the issue of withdrawal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) he asserted that the Government is yet to arrive on a unanimous decision on partial withdrawal of AFSPA, and said all agencies, except the Army, were in favor of revocation of this Act. He, however, said that AFSPA will be removed from at least five Districts of the State this year. "Time has come for withdrawal of AFSPA from at least Srinagar, Budgam, Jammu, Samba and Kathua Districts, which were free of militancy and where Army has not operated for years together as there was no presence of militants. We are not asking for AFSPA withdrawal from Sopore, Tral, Doda or Kupwara but from the peaceful areas and we hope a beginning on this front would be made in the current year’’, he said. Asserting that AFSPA had not been enforced for law and order problem but for dealing with militancy, Omar said the militancy was just five per cent in 2011 than what it was in 2002. He also informed that three Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) battalions were de-inducted and 39 bunkers were removed last year while 15 more CRPF bunkers are being removed from Srinagar City this summer. He added that 52 buildings have been vacated from the occupation of security forces and restored to private owners or the Government.
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April - 1 
Addressing a joint press conference at Awantipora in Pulwama District, Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, said that “Today is a very special day for all our security forces. We have killed eight terrorists in two operation
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Addressing a joint press conference at Awantipora in Pulwama District, Lieutenant General AK Bhatt, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps, said that “Today is a very special day for all our security forces. We have killed eight terrorists in two operations…” he said, adding that the third operation was still going on in Kachdoora village – where eventually five militants were killed. “Two terrorists responsible for killing Lt Fayaz when he was visiting his family on a holiday had been eliminated”, said the GOC. Fayaz, posted in the Rajputana Rifles in Akhnoor, was abducted and killed by militants in May last year (2017), when he had gone to attend a family wedding, and his body was found the next day. “I appeal to youths not to get lured by weapons and Pakistani backed propaganda. Anybody who uses weapons will be dealt with in the same manner we dealt with the terrorists today”, said the General. He said Sunday’s was the biggest anti-militancy operation in the Kashmir valley in a long time. Also, a senior Police officer said that at Dialgam, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Anantnag made a special effort to persuade the militants to surrender. He summoned the family members of the two militants in a bid to persuade them to give themselves up. “Instead of surrendering, one of the holed up militants opened fire and the security forces had no option but to kill him. The other one we caught alive. Operations are carried out most professionally by the security forces”, he said.
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April - 2 
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti called for shedding differences and coming together to think about new ways to reach out to the youth and find sustainable solutions to end dreadful cycle of violence even as she reviewed security situation in Kashmir at a high-level meet on April 2, reports Daily Excel
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Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti called for shedding differences and coming together to think about new ways to reach out to the youth and find sustainable solutions to end dreadful cycle of violence even as she reviewed security situation in Kashmir at a high-level meet on April 2, reports Daily Excelsior. She has also called yet another meeting on April 3 (today) afternoon in the wake of deadly violence on April 1 in which 20 persons including 13 militants, three Army jawans and four civilians were killed in two encounters at South Kashmir. Mehbooba, on April 2 tweeted: “the violence from yesterday is a grim reminder of the fact that at times like these we must shed our differences & come together to think of new ways to reach out to the youth & find sustainable solutions to end the dreadful cycle of violence that is consuming them endlessly’’.
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April - 3 
All militants who were killed in multiple operations in Jammu and Kashmir on April 1 joined the terrorist outfits post-2016, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S.P. Vaid said on April 3, reports The Hindu. S. P. Vaid asked people from Kashmir to “introspect” whether the violence aided by Pak
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All militants who were killed in multiple operations in Jammu and Kashmir on April 1 joined the terrorist outfits post-2016, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S.P. Vaid said on April 3, reports The Hindu. S. P. Vaid asked people from Kashmir to “introspect” whether the violence aided by Pakistan from across the border “was doing them any good.” 13 militants were killed as Security Forces (SFs) launched “coordinated,” multiple operations in Shopian and Anantnag in south Kashmir on April 1. Three Army men lost their lives in the operations. S. P. Vaid said a large number of protesters had gathered at the encounter site and there was no way to avoid the use of pellet guns. Four civilians were killed. Scores of them are being treated in Srinagar hospitals for pellet injuries. Some were hit in the eye. Vaid said, “The mob was pelting stones at security forces at the encounter site. When militants fire indiscriminately, the bullets don’t see if they will hit an Army man or a civilian. It was an open area and tear gas shells and PAVA shells were also used, but they remained ineffective,” he said. According to Mr. Vaid, this was the first time in many years that an operation of this scale had been launched in Shopian. He said he hoped the operations did not impact the tourist season in the Valley. He dismissed allegations by Pakistan that “human shields” were used in April 1’s encounters. “When has Pakistan spoken the truth? Pakistan claims to be a friend of Kashmir but all this (violence) is their doing,” he said.
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April - 3 
Jammu and Kashmir Police on April 3 denied a The Times of India report that tourists had been attacked by stone pelters on April 1, but acknowledged that “two tourists got minor injuries on April 1 ... because the vehicles came in the middle of an area where pelting was going on”, report
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Jammu and Kashmir Police on April 3 denied a The Times of India report that tourists had been attacked by stone pelters on April 1, but acknowledged that “two tourists got minor injuries on April 1 ... because the vehicles came in the middle of an area where pelting was going on”, reports The Times of India. Awantipora Superintendent of Police (SP) Zahid Ahmad also confirmed that a vehicle in which tourists were travelling was attacked by stone-pelters, but said the incident took place near Khanabal in Anantnag, not in Awantipora Police District. Another tourist bus (no. UP17AT505) of Sehgal Tours, carrying 42 tourists from Mandya district, Karnataka, was attacked by stone-pelters in Kangan on April 3. Driver Ramesh said the bus was on its way from Sonmarg to Srinagar. Two tourists suffered injuries from the shards of the glass windows that were smashed by stone-pelters. Earlier on April 3, The Times of India had reported that stone pelters attacked tourists in Jammu and Kashmir in which four tourists were injured. Responding to the report, the Police issued a statement, saying that no incident of stone pelting took place near Dal Lake and Awantipora areas on Sunday [April 1]. "Police investigations have also shown that no injuries to anybody were reported from the area...two tourists got minor injuries on April 1. They were given first aid and discharged immediately. There has been no intended or designed attack on any tourist. It was because the vehicles came in the middle of an area where pelting was going on,” the Police said. However, sources confirmed to The Times of India that stone-pelters did attack tourists on April 1 evening causing injuries to two women - Sandhya Kumari (25), wife of Manish Kumar, and Mandana Jaswal (35), wife of Ajay Jaswal, both from Uttar Pradesh. They were taken to SMHS hospital for treatment. Sandhya was hit in the abdomen and Mandana was hit on the head. Both were discharged after treatment, according to Dr Muneer Ahmad, deputy superintendent of SMHS hospital. The incident, according to officials, occurred around 8pm at Awantipora on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway when a mob of around 100 pelted stones on the vehicle in which tourists were travelling towards Srinagar. “The vehicle was partially damaged and two persons sustained injuries. The doctors at the hospital discharged the injured tourists after investigation,” officials said. Awantipora SP Zahid Ahmad confirmed the incident but not the location. “It is ok (sic), but it didn’t take place in Awantipora police district. It happened somewhere near Khanabal in Anantnag,” he said.
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April - 4 
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Additional Director General VSK Kaumudi said on April 4 that surrender of the militants was first option for them and they would like that to happen before exercising the second and last option i.e. the encounter to eliminate the militants, reports Daily Excelsior
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Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Additional Director General VSK Kaumudi said on April 4 that surrender of the militants was first option for them and they would like that to happen before exercising the second and last option i.e. the encounter to eliminate the militants, reports Daily Excelsior. He said the CRPF was ready to accept if any genuine replacement was suggested to the use of pellet guns in the Kashmir valley. Speaking to media persons in Rajouri after high-level review of security situation in the twin border Districts of Rajouri and Poonch, Kaumudi referred to April 1’s encounter at Anantnag in South Kashmir saying the parents of one of the militants came forward to appeal to their son to shun militancy and surrender. “The militant agreed and we happily accepted the surrender. In fact, surrender by the militants is our first choice. We will like that to happen. But if someone is firing at you, the right to retaliate has to be exercised as it were not only the security forces, who have surrounded the militants, have to be saved but large number of civilians, who live in the vicinity, also have to be protected from the militants’ firing,’’ the top CRPF official said. Kaumudi said if there is rioting or an encounter, the force is justified. “It can be used (to neutralize the militants)’’. Admitting that situation in the Kashmir valley was “challenging’’, he, however, said that whatever the circumstances, the CRPF has been using minimum force and exercising maximum restraint. “The force is used as the last option when other options don’t succeed,’’ he added. On hue and cry in the Kashmir valley over use of pellet guns, Kaumudi said the pellet guns are also used as “last option’’ to control the protesters. On alternate to pellet guns, he added that the CRPF wouldn’t only accept the option but would also give reward to those, who come up with effective alternate of pellet guns.
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April - 4 
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on April 4 described tourism as a “magical medicine” that can provide a healing touch to the wounds of the people and said the Valley was safe for all visitors, reports Daily Excelsior. A day after reports of tourists being pelted with ston
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Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on April 4 described tourism as a “magical medicine” that can provide a healing touch to the wounds of the people and said the Valley was safe for all visitors, reports Daily Excelsior. A day after reports of tourists being pelted with stones in the Valley, Mehbooba asked people not to fall prey to rumours and said the trouble was the handiwork of “some vested interests”. “There have been some isolated incidents of tourists getting injured during clashes. However, projecting them as a deliberate design with malafide intention by a section of the media is regretted and should be condemned. The Valley is safe,” Mehbooba said in an interview in Srinagar. The chief minister, who has been camping here since April 2, said she had personally taken stock of the situation and directed all law enforcement agencies to ensure that places frequented by tourists in the Valley are guarded properly. “During the process of movement of tourists, there were unfortunate incidents of some tourists caught in a stone-pelting mob situation. There were injuries to our guests. This has been criticised by one and all. Since yesterday [April3], various tourism related organisations have approached me.” Tourism, she said, was the “mainstay” of Kashmir’s economy. “The state has gone through an enormous phase of violence. The tourism industry is one magical medicine that can provide a healing touch to the wounds of people. This can benefit an ordinary shikarawala, roadside hawker, small eatery…,” Mehbooba said. “You see, after many stressful years, we have an opportunity for our common Kashmiri brothers and sisters to earn. No Kashmiri will push away an opportunity to earn his or her livelihood,” she said. The trouble, she added, was the handiwork of some vested interests who wanted people in the Valley to continue to suffer. Expressing regret that some tourists were hurt in last few days, Mehbooba said, “I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to my guests. Saying this, I maintain that there was no malafide intention.” According to the chief minister, only a few people had cut short their holidays. “See the crowd at Pahalgham and Gulmarg. I only pray to Almighty that the queues increase and people do not fall prey to rumours.” She also appealed to tourism bodies across the country to partner with the state government’s initiative to help provide a healing touch to the people of the state.
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April - 4 
Pakistan violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) 633 times in just two months of this year (2018), the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of Indian Parliament) was informed on April 4, reports Daily Excelsior. Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram A
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Pakistan violated ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) 633 times in just two months of this year (2018), the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of Indian Parliament) was informed on April 4, reports Daily Excelsior. Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said Pakistan has violated ceasefire along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir 432 times and along the IB 201 times in January and February, 2018. In 2017, the ceasefire was violated by Pakistan along the LoC 860 times and 111 times along the IB. The highest number of such violations took place in 2002, when 8,376 incidents were reported, while 2,045 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported in 2003. The ceasefire between India and Pakistan along the LoC and the IB in Jammu and Kashmir came into force in November 2003.
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April - 4 
Police had erected barricades on the roads leading to Shopian and Kulgam to prevent any separatist leader and their supporters to enter the two towns. Police were checking all the vehicles that were headed towards the two district headquarters. A Police spokesman said that “The general law and
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Police had erected barricades on the roads leading to Shopian and Kulgam to prevent any separatist leader and their supporters to enter the two towns. Police were checking all the vehicles that were headed towards the two district headquarters. A Police spokesman said that “The general law and order situation in the Valley remained by and large peaceful, today [April 4]. However, some minor stone pelting incidents were reported from Shopian area in which one police personnel identified as Constable Mohammad Amin was injured. He was shifted to hospital for treatment and is stated to be stable.”
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April - 4 
Normal life in Kashmir remained paralysed on April 4 while Police foiled separatist march to Shopian by erecting barricades on the roads leading to Shopian and Kulgam in South Kashmir and putting curbs on the movement of separatist leaders, reports Daily Excelsior. All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Ge
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Normal life in Kashmir remained paralysed on April 4 while Police foiled separatist march to Shopian by erecting barricades on the roads leading to Shopian and Kulgam in South Kashmir and putting curbs on the movement of separatist leaders, reports Daily Excelsior. All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Geelani (APHC-G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani was barred from marching to Shopian on April 4 to offer condolences to the bereaved families. Police deployed outside Geelani’s residence in Hyderpora prevented him from coming out. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was also detained on April 4 as he tried to defy his house arrest to march towards Shopian. He came out of his Nigeen residence around 11.30 am where he has been placed under house arrest. A large contingent of police men deployed there foiled his march by detaining him. He was taken to nearby Nigeen Police Station and was later let off. The separatists had called for Shopian march on April 4 to express solidarity with the people and offer condolences to the bereaved families who lost their loved ones in April 1’s clashes. They had also planned to hold a rally at Shopian.
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April - 9 
The Additional Director General (ADG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), VSK Kaumudi, on April 9 cautioned people not to disrupt the anti-militancy operations as it can lead to loss of lives or injuries, reports Daily Excelsior. Kaumudi said: “We caution people not to be responsible for a
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The Additional Director General (ADG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), VSK Kaumudi, on April 9 cautioned people not to disrupt the anti-militancy operations as it can lead to loss of lives or injuries, reports Daily Excelsior. Kaumudi said: “We caution people not to be responsible for any type of militant support by trying to divert the attention of security forces during anti-militancy operations and help them as they are deployed for the safety of the people”. He said that stone pelting can lead to loss of lives or injuries. “The stone pelting during encounters will ultimately lead to loss of limb and life. Recently we have seen the CRPF vehicle was attacked in South Kashmir’s Kokernag area. Two of the jawans (troopers) died and the driver got badly injured. It doesn’t do any good”, he added.The CRPF ADG said that if people have any grievances they can use peaceful means of resentment and breaking of law is eligible for punishment. “If you have something to say use social media as it can also be used to voice your resentment. You should not break law because it makes you eligible for the punishment”, he said. “So far as the involvement of the locals is concerned many factors are responsible including anxiety, curiosity, and provocation. It has not started today and these things have been happening in the past as well. However, the attacks on Security Forces (SFs) and disruption of operations by stone pelters need to be dealt with”, he added.Kaumudi said that some people are provoking stone pelting during operations which is becoming threat for the other people. “There have been certain incidents and instances where certain groups have tried to provoke people and it has also become a kind of threat to others as they are having difficulty in venturing out of their homes. How many are coming willingly and how many are forced is something that a different agency might investigate. But it’s certainly something which disturbs our anti-militancy operations and at the same time, it disturbs peace, education and the functioning of other agencies which are meant for the welfare of the people. People have to introspect and think which way are they going”, he said.
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April - 10 
National Security Guards (NSG), the elite special force, is likely to join the counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir shortly, reports The New Indian Express on April 11. Hinting at this possibility, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has hinted at a key role being given to the NSG in Jam
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National Security Guards (NSG), the elite special force, is likely to join the counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir shortly, reports The New Indian Express on April 11. Hinting at this possibility, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has hinted at a key role being given to the NSG in Jammu and Kashmir. “Terrorists are taking cover behind civilians and hiding in their homes. With terrorists changing their strategies every now and then in J&K, the NSG can play a key role there,’’ he said soon after inaugurating the 28 Special Composite Group (SCG) complex of the NSG at Ibrahimpatnam in Telangana on April 10. The proposal to have NSG on the counter-insurgency grid had been pending for quite some time and now with the Union Home Minister indicating a bigger role for it, the decks for it seem to have been cleared. While appreciating the efforts of the Army to battle terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Rajnath Singh made note of global trends in terror attacks like ‘lone wolf attacks’ and stressed the need for continuous improvement in technical and tactical efficiency in counter-terror operations. According to sources, NSG will take up operations alongside Army’s counter-insurgency wing Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). At present, half-a-dozen agencies like the Army, Border Security Force (BSF), CRPF, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the J&K Police are engaged in counter-insurgency operations and the latest to join the security grid will be the NSG.
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April - 12 
Encounter sites are not the venue of “marriages of terrorists” to be flocked by youngsters as bullets do not differentiate between stone pelters and militants, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S P Vaid said on April 12, reports Daily Excelsior. In a first, the State Director General
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Encounter sites are not the venue of “marriages of terrorists” to be flocked by youngsters as bullets do not differentiate between stone pelters and militants, Jammu and Kashmir Police chief S P Vaid said on April 12, reports Daily Excelsior. In a first, the State Director General of Police (DGP) took to micro-blogging site Twitter to participate in a live broadcast where he took questions directly from people ranging from issues like the Kashmir problem, Islamic State (IS) terror group, human rights violations to educated youth joining terrorists and disruption of work in educational institutions. Some Pakistani handlers also appeared to be asking questions during the interaction. Vaid also asserted that the gun and violence were no solution to the Kashmir problem and favoured a dialogue between the concerned parties for a peaceful resolution of the Kashmir issue. “I wish the Kashmir problem to be so simple that I could answer it in one reply. So many players are working for decades to find out a solution to Kashmir. But this is not a simple thing. Personally I feel the gun is not the solution,” the police chief said in reply to a query. Let every party concerned including “our neighbour” (Pakistan) understand that the only way out is to sit together, talk and sort out the problem, he said. The DGP reiterated his appeal to the youth not to come close to encounter sites. “Let me tell you that no citizen of India would like any civilian killing. We have been repeatedly requesting people not to come near the encounter sites,” he said. He said when bullets fly, whether from the militants, Army, paramilitary forces or the police’s side, they do it in a trajectory. “They will not look for a chest of a particular person; it can hit anybody. It is not advisable to come near the encounter sites,” he said adding that it pained him and the forces most if a civilian died. Civilians, he, however, insisted have no business to be present at encounter sites. “Marriage of the militants is not going on that these boys are coming near the encounter sites,” he said. He said Police was working on various methods to ensure minimum civilian casualties and minimum disruption of work in education institutions besides keeping away educated youth from joining terror ranks. Referring to the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militant Burhan Wani and subsequent protests, he said it was the most challenging task of his career. “Post Burhan situation when I was given the charge as Special DGP Law and Order was the most challenging task,” he said. Asked why Police did not take action against Army personnel, he said cases were registered whenever incidents of human rights violations came to notice. “Army has protection under AFSPA and before starting any criminal proceeding, the sanction of Government of India is required under the law of the land. Police since 1990’s registered cases where such incidents have happened and come to our notice. We have been taking up with Government,” he said. On the presence of terror group Islamic State in Kashmir, he said ISIS is basically a thought and a radical idea adding “I wish it doesn’t come here”. He agreed with a questioner that national media was not playing a constructive role about the situation in Kashmir. He said the amnesty given to “first time stone-pelters stands and anyone can even approach now”. He ruled out the use of chemical weapons against holed up militants during operations and said “no human force can think of it. These rumours are set from Pakistan. He termed as frivolous the charges that the youth of interior Srinagar were being harassed by police on the pretext of being stone pelters and hefty amounts of money were being taken from them.
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April - 22 
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on April 22 asserted that the country was always ready to give a befitting reply to Pakistani incursions at the LoC accusing Pakistan of trying to break up the country, reports Daily Excelsior. Rajnath Singh said that Pakistan was always trying to create distur
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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on April 22 asserted that the country was always ready to give a befitting reply to Pakistani incursions at the LoC accusing Pakistan of trying to break up the country, reports Daily Excelsior. Rajnath Singh said that Pakistan was always trying to create disturbances at the LoC and even attempting to break up the country but Indian soldiers were giving befitting reply to its nefarious designs. He said earlier Army was asked to exercise restraint but now since provocations were being made from across the border, Army was going full throttle to teach a good lesson to Pak forces.
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April - 24 
Meanwhile, a Policeman has gone missing along with a service rifle from Police post-Pakherpora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam District on April 24 evening, adds Daily Excelsior. Jammu and Kashmir Police constable who was posted as a constable in Police Post Pakherpora has been missing along with
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Meanwhile, a Policeman has gone missing along with a service rifle from Police post-Pakherpora in Central Kashmir’s Budgam District on April 24 evening, adds Daily Excelsior. Jammu and Kashmir Police constable who was posted as a constable in Police Post Pakherpora has been missing along with AK-47 rifle. A Police officer said that constable Tariq Bhat (belt number 1151) son of Mohammad Abdullah Bhat of Qazipora Shopian had gone missing from the Police post soon after he assumed the night shift duty in sentry post at around 9:00 pm. “He is believed to have fled away with an AK-47 rifle along with the ammunition as he was not found inside the post,” sources said. Army and SOG visited the spot and launched a massive manhunt to trace out the missing cop.
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April - 26 
The Washington Postreports that Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Indian troops have fired across the frontier between the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region, killing two civilians and wounding two others on April 26. Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Indian troops on April 26 t
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The Washington Postreports that Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry said Indian troops have fired across the frontier between the two countries in the disputed Kashmir region, killing two civilians and wounding two others on April 26. Ministry spokesman Mohammad Faisal said Indian troops on April 26 targeted the villages of Thub and Banchiran on the Pakistani side of the LoC with mortars and other weapons. Army officials said Pakistani forces returned fire and it was unclear if there were any casualties on Indian side.
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May - 6 
The ‘working President’ of the National Conference (NC) and former Chief Minister (CM) Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Omar Abdullah on May 6 addressed a public meeting in Drass town of Laddakh region and has said that the Central and State Government shall go through a ‘serious intros
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The ‘working President’ of the National Conference (NC) and former Chief Minister (CM) Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Omar Abdullah on May 6 addressed a public meeting in Drass town of Laddakh region and has said that the Central and State Government shall go through a ‘serious introspection’ over the educated and employed youth joining militancy, reports Daily Excelsior.
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May - 7 
In a series of tweets, the former Chief Minister (CM) Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Omar Abdullah has condemned the killing of Thirumani—a tourist from Chennai, Tamil Nadu who succumbed to injuries that he had in stone-pelting incident in Narbal area on Srinagar-Gulmarg road on May 7, reports&nb
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In a series of tweets, the former Chief Minister (CM) Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Omar Abdullah has condemned the killing of Thirumani—a tourist from Chennai, Tamil Nadu who succumbed to injuries that he had in stone-pelting incident in Narbal area on Srinagar-Gulmarg road on May 7, reports Daily Excelsior on May 9. “We have killed a tourist by throwing stones at the vehicle he was travelling in. Let us try and wrap our heads around the fact that we stoned a tourist-a guest, to death while we glorify these stone-pelters & their methods. The young man from Chennai died in my Constituency and I do not support these ‘goons’, their methods or their ideology. I am sorry that this happened in the area that I have been proud to represent since 2014”, tweeted Omar Abdullah.
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May - 10 
In a video, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, Aijaz Ahmad Gojri, who was arrested with other militants, has urged the other members of the outfit to reject the path of violence, reports Times of India on March 10. “My name is Aijaz Ahmad Gojri. I request my other friends—Suhaib
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In a video, a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant, Aijaz Ahmad Gojri, who was arrested with other militants, has urged the other members of the outfit to reject the path of violence, reports Times of India on March 10. “My name is Aijaz Ahmad Gojri. I request my other friends—Suhaib Akhoon, Mohsin Mushtaq Bhat and Nasir Amin Drazi—who are on the wrong path and have left their families, their good life and living in forests, to return home. I request Nasir to come back as his mother is very ill. Pakistan is misleading the youth”, said Gojri in a 2-minute video. We [militants] fired at Army personnel, but they did not fire on us. I ran from the location and hid in the forest. But the Army found me and instead of killing, they arrested me and gave me a new life.” said Gojri.
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May - 24 
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on May 24 held high level review of security situation, construction of border fencing, roads and Border Outposts (BOPs) along International Border (IB) with Pakistan, where situation returned to normal after nine days of intense shelling and firing, reports Da
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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on May 24 held high level review of security situation, construction of border fencing, roads and Border Outposts (BOPs) along International Border (IB) with Pakistan, where situation returned to normal after nine days of intense shelling and firing, reports Daily Excelsior. Rajnath called for strict vigil and surveillance along the IB with Pakistan at the high-level meeting, which among others was attended by Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Gauba, Special Secretary (Border Management) BR Sharma, Joint Secretaries of Border Management, other senior officers of Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) and Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). Rajnath had recently stated that the BSF, which mans 198-kilometers IB from Lakhanpur to Akhnoor with Pakistan, has been given full powers to effectively retaliated Pakistan shelling and firing but don’t fire the first bullet.
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May - 25 
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on May 25 said that India wants peace along the borders and blamed Pakistan for violating the ceasefire that leads to loss of life and property, reports Daily Excelsior. He said that the suspension of combat operations in Jammu and Kashmir can be extended further
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Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on May 25 said that India wants peace along the borders and blamed Pakistan for violating the ceasefire that leads to loss of life and property, reports Daily Excelsior. He said that the suspension of combat operations in Jammu and Kashmir can be extended further if the atmosphere of peace continues in the State. Rawat said Pakistan should stop sending militants into the State if it is interested in peace. “If Pakistan really wants peace, then we will want them to take the first step by stopping infiltration of terrorists into our side. The ceasefire violation mostly takes place to aid infiltration,” he said. General Rawat said for peace, it was imperative that cross-border terrorism comes to an end. “It is imperative to stop terrorism from across (the Line of Control), the camps which are there where training is given to them, from where the ammunition is infiltrated into Jammu and Kashmir and India that should stop. If that happens, then I can assure you that peace will prevail on the borders,” he added. The Army chief said that the suspension of combat operations can be extended further if the atmosphere of peace continues in the State, but any action by terrorists would trigger a rethink immediately. General Rawat said the suspension of anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir was an attempt to make people realise the benefits of peace. “The suspension of operations or what we call NICO (Non Initiation of Combat Operations) has been done to make the people believe and see how the atmosphere is when there is peace. The way an atmosphere of peace and calm is here right now, in my opinion, the people here are very happy with that,” he said. Gen Rawat said the Army will think about continuing the unilateral ceasefire if the peaceful situation continues in the Valley. “If this atmosphere of peace continues, then I assure you that we will think about continuing with NICO. But if there is some action by the terrorists, then we will have to rethink on this ceasefire or suspension of operations or NICO,” he said.
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May - 26 
Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on May 26 declared that the Central Government is ready for talks with all stakeholders in Kashmir including All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) if they come forward and with Pakistan if it stops aiding and abetting terrorism and ceasefire violations as Ind
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Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on May 26 declared that the Central Government is ready for talks with all stakeholders in Kashmir including All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) if they come forward and with Pakistan if it stops aiding and abetting terrorism and ceasefire violations as India always stands for good ties with all its neighbours, reports Daily Excelsior. However, he made it clear that talks can’t be held with Pakistan under present circumstances. In an interview to a national news channel, Rajnath said the Centre was committed to defeat terrorism in all its forms and the countrymen should be assured of this. He described Ramzan ceasefire in Jammu and Kashmir as a “thoughtful decision”, which will give relief to the people during the holy month but regretted that Pakistan has no sympathy for the people as it was violating ceasefire on the borders. Rajnath said there was no confusion in the Government on terrorism and it was very clear that the terrorism has to be finished and whatever hard steps are required for it will be taken. At the same time, he added, the Government is worried about the Kashmir people. “Both Kashmir and Kashmiris are ours. All decisions will be taken in the interest of the people”.Asserting that the Centre was ready to talk with all stakeholders in Jammu and Kashmir including the Hurriyat Conference, Rajnath made it clear that there was nothing wrong in the talks with whosoever comes forward for it. However, he said, so far there has been no indication from them (the Hurriyat Conference) on the dialogue. He was responding to the question on appointment of Dineshwar Sharma, former Intelligence Bureau Director, as Centre Government’s Special Representative on Jammu and Kashmir and progress made by him. On talks with Pakistan, he said: “If Pakistan offers for talks, we will tell them to stop terrorism. If someone comes forward for talks, we will talk. But Pakistan must end aiding and abetting terrorism, infiltration and ceasefire violations. We want good friendly ties with the neighbours but Pakistan will have to mend its ways”.
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May - 27 
Army on May 27 said that Pakistani troops are helping the infiltrators as the group that was eliminated in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara District on May 26 was spotted close to Pakistani troops’ camp before it infiltrated into the Indian territory, reports Daily Excelsior. This was disclosed
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Army on May 27 said that Pakistani troops are helping the infiltrators as the group that was eliminated in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara District on May 26 was spotted close to Pakistani troops’ camp before it infiltrated into the Indian territory, reports Daily Excelsior. This was disclosed by Commander Tanghdar Brigade of Army, Brigadier PK Mishra, in a press conference in the border town of Tanghdar. “I would also like to highlight that the movement of the infiltrating column was also detected from very close to the Pakistani force across the Line of Control [LoC],” Mishra said. “The recoveries are indicative of actively aiding and abetting of this kind of a movement by Pakistan because you see a lot of food items equipment with Pakistan markings on them,” Mishra said. The Brigade Commander said that Intelligence inputs do suggest that there are a number of groups across the border on launching pads waiting to infiltrate. “We expect that there will be more such bids in the future”. He said that the troops are vigilant along LoC to foil any such bids or any such attempt. “Our troops are ready to negate any such attempt,” he added. Asked about Ramazan ceasefire, Mishra said: “We are exercising utmost restraint. As far as ceasefire which has been promulgated by the Government notwithstanding that I would just like to comment that “Action speaks louder than words”. And while we are respecting what has been promulgated, Pakistan obviously does not intend to do so. We had the infiltration bid over the last couple of days”.Brigadier Mishra said that militants killed in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara district in North Kashmir were armed with modern weaponry and equipment.
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May - 27 
Arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist –Zabiullah aka Hamza has confessed that Hafiz Saeed—founder of LeT and Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are recruiting ‘unsuspicious’ youth to wage war against India, reports The Times of India on May 28. Jamaat –ud-Daw
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Arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist –Zabiullah aka Hamza has confessed that Hafiz Saeed—founder of LeT and Zakir-ur-Rehman Lakhvi are recruiting ‘unsuspicious’ youth to wage war against India, reports The Times of India on May 28. Jamaat –ud-Dawa (JuD) leaders openly invites boys with an age of 15-20 years of Pakistan to join jihad and prepare them with a will to sacrifice. In the top of the seven-tier hierarchy of JuD includes Saeed himself who is known as Amir Sahab or Amire-Masgar. This is followed by instructors or recruiters at zonal, district, tehsil, town and sector levels. The instructors, who are known as Masools, are followed by “Kakroons” at the lowest level. The recruits are handpicked from Madrasas by town’s Masool and brought to the training centre of the LeT in Muridke District in Lahore, Pakistan, read the confessional statement of Hamza. LeT’s student wing—al-Mohammadiya Students (AMS) has prepared a cellular device in which they put a chip and use it for ‘secret’ communication among LeT members; If Security Forces (SFs) could manage to intercept the communication, the connection would automatically terminates, claimed Hamza during confession. Hamza was arrested on March 20, 2018, during an operation in Kupwara District in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).
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May - 27 
the five militants who were killed by Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara District on May 26 are believed to be of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), reportsDaily Excelsior. Earlier,SATPreported that at least five militants were killed by the Indian Army as they foiled an infiltra
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the five militants who were killed by Army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara District on May 26 are believed to be of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), reportsDaily Excelsior. Earlier,SATPreported that at least five militants were killed by the Indian Army as they foiled an infiltration attempt along the LoC in Tangdhar sector in Kupwara District early on May 26. Huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from the encounter site. The area is traditional infiltration route but was abandoned by the militants for long time before they re-activated it in 2016 but failed in their designs. Sources said that the recently killed militants in Brinjal forest area of Vilgam, Handwara had also infiltrated from Tanghdar. The group was intercepted by the soldiers of 15 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) on May 19 and four members were killed. Sources said that it was a big group of around 20 militants who had infiltrated from the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and split into four groups, of which, one was eliminated. The operation against the rest of their members is still on.The killing of five militants in Tanghdar comes a day after Army chief General Bipin Rawat called upon Pakistan to stop infiltration to establish peace along border. “We want peace at borders but as you know Pakistan continuously violates ceasefire that causes loss of life and property and in such a case we have to retaliate but if Pakistan wants peace, we expect them to take initiative, which will start with them stopping infiltration,” he said. Army says that there are around 250 militants waiting on the LoC in PoK for infiltration. The troops have intensified vigil along the LoC and strengthened the counter-infiltration gird to foil the infiltration. Last year, as per the Multi Agency Centre (MAC) figures a record numbers of militants, 120, infiltrated into Kashmir. And this year despite the tight vigil at least 8-9 groups of militants have managed to infiltrate into Kashmir. Sources said that there are 28 active launch pads in PoK this year where militants to be infiltrated are taken. They said that this year JeM is more active than LeT and mostly the Jaish cadres are being infiltrated.
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May - 29 
The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both India and Pakistan on May 29 agreed to implement 2003 ceasefire agreement on both Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, where ceasefire violations have become a routine during past several months now, re
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The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of both India and Pakistan on May 29 agreed to implement 2003 ceasefire agreement on both Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, where ceasefire violations have become a routine during past several months now, reports Daily Excelsior. In a sudden development, which comes amidst rants of Indo-Pak talks, Pakistan DGMO called up his Indian counterpart Lieutenant General Anil Chauhan at 6 pm on the hotline during which both top military officials of the two hostile neighbours reviewed situation along LoC and IB in Jammu and Kashmir. As Pakistan army and Rangers have suffered heavy losses, both in terms of casualties and infrastructure, in retaliation by the Indian troops and Border Security Force (BSF), the Pakistani DGMO mooted the proposal for undertaking sincere measures to improve the existing situation on the borders. “Indian Army DGMO agreed with the proposal to undertake sincere measures to improve the situation to ensure peace and avoidance of hardships to civilians along the borders,” an official handout issued by the Indian Army after the hotline contact said. It added that both the DGMOs agreed to fully implement the ceasefire understanding of 2003 in letter and spirit forthwith and to ensure that henceforth the ceasefire will not be violated by both sides. “It was also mutually agreed that in case of any issue, restraint will be exercised and the matter will be resolved through utilization of existing mechanisms of hotline contacts and border flag meetings at local Commanders’ level,” the handout said. Pakistan army also issued almost a similar handout at Rawalpindi in Pakistan after the DGMOs’ hotline contact. The 2003 ceasefire agreement to which the two DGMOs agreed this evening [May 29] was announced initially by then Pakistan Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on November 23, 2003, which was endorsed by then Prime Minister of India, Atal Behari Vajpayee a couple of days later. Peace prevailed along the borders for seven to eight years and people had started cultivating their crops right on the Zero Line.
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May - 29 
The Kashmiri separatists’ leaders on May 29 said that they are ready for dialogue with Centre but demanded that New Delhi should end ambiguity first, reports Daily Excelsior. The chairmen of All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Geelani (APHC-G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani and All Parties Hurriyat Co
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The Kashmiri separatists’ leaders on May 29 said that they are ready for dialogue with Centre but demanded that New Delhi should end ambiguity first, reports Daily Excelsior. The chairmen of All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Geelani (APHC-G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani and All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik of Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) on May 29 issued a statement regarding it after holding a meeting at Hyderpora residence of Geelani in Srinagar City. They said that the statements emanating regarding talks for last few days from different people at the helm of affairs at Centre are unclear and ambiguous. “While Rajnath Singh says there should be dialogue with both Kashmir and Pakistan but both ‘Kashmir and Kashmiri is ours’, Sushma Swaraj puts a rider and says no talks with Pakistan unless ‘terror is stopped’ then Amit Shah gives a spin to the ceasefire that it is not for militants but people while State DG had issued a statement that it is for militants to come back home. All this ambiguity leaves little room to consider the talk about talks seriously with a purpose or warrant a response”, the statement said. “These statements come a few days after Modi said in Srinagar that the panacea to the Kashmir problem according to him is ‘development’ and ‘peace’ is a prerequisite for that to happen, putting the onus of bringing peace on people while absolving Government of India of all role and responsibility in the matter”, the statement said. “Deliberately choosing to ignore the historical background of the Kashmir problem, its internal and external dimensions, the reason for the presence of lakhs of his troops here, the daily aggression and the highly volatile situation on ground and near LoC in the conflict ridden region. It was like Modi was playing a cruel joke on the people”, read the statement. The statement further said: “Then a few days back Rajnath Singh said that we are ready to talk to Pakistan and Hurriyat to which Sushma Swaraj added riders and caveats and Amit Shah put out his clarifications, not to upset his electoral applecart and calculations.” “Now the question is what these ‘talks’ are about to which Singh is referring to? What is the agenda of these talks? Is it about Modi’s suggestion of development?”, ask separatists. “JRL [Joint Resistance Leadership] does not want to score points by highlighting the discrepancies and conflicts in their statements but wants to understand what GoI is conveying through them to respond accordingly”, the statement said. “JRL said that since people of J&K are at the receiving end of the lingering 70 year old conflict, being the worst affected we are most keen to find an end to it. And hence have always advocated that being a political and human issue it needs to be addressed likewise, not militarily as GoI has been doing. And for a political redressal of the conflict dialogue among stakeholders is the best process and option available”, the statement adds. The separatists stressed for meaningful dialogue. “As J&K is a divided territory and half of it is in Pakistan, this dispute has three stakeholders: India, Pakistan and people of this land. Meaningful talks based on a clear agenda underlined by sincerity among all the three stakeholders is an assured and peaceful way to resolve the conflict of Kashmir in all its forms and dimensions. Absence of any one stake holder in the process will not yield any solution. It is also important to have transparency in such a process and an assurance from all sides that promises and pledges made will be honoured. Talks that are so held keeping in view the concerns and needs of stakeholders especially the most afflicted party, to the satisfaction of all will surely be successful and result oriented”, the statement said. “Any effort that GoI [Government of India] makes in this direction will find takers in Kashmir and Pakistan. Let GoI give clarity on what it wants to talk about and speak in one Language we are ready to join the process”, read the statement.
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May - 30 
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘commander’ Riyaz Naikoo on May 30 asked Kashmiri women to avoid chatting with soldiers and strangers on social media, reports Hindustan Times. In an audio statement Riyaz Naikoo also asked young men to post their experiences on social media if army ‘pu
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Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘commander’ Riyaz Naikoo on May 30 asked Kashmiri women to avoid chatting with soldiers and strangers on social media, reports Hindustan Times. In an audio statement Riyaz Naikoo also asked young men to post their experiences on social media if army ‘pushes them’ for providing information about militants. “We have got information that army and policemen are developing relationships with women particularly school girls to prompt them for providing information about militants. Army men are developing contacts with these girls to get them do wrong things,” Naikoo alleged in the 10-minute audio clip which has gone viral in Kashmir. “We appeal to our sisters to remain away from army and policemen and avoid chatting with strangers on social media. Nor you should share your secrets with strangers. It will be used to blackmail you,” he said. Naikoo also cautioned parents and teachers against sending their wards to army-sponsored educational tours. “I am at a loss to understand how parents allow their daughters to go on tours with army officers like Major Gogoi… Army and education are two separate departments and they are not connected to each other even remotely. Army tours are a conspiracy so that they can reach our sisters. Then they lure them to do wrong things and then blackmail them to work as informers for army,” the militant commander charged. “We will not spare those parents and teachers who allow their children to go on tours which are directly or indirectly connected to army,” he warned. Naikoo also claimed that youth were reaching out to militants with complaints that “army was detaining them from streets, calling them to camps and torturing them mentally and physically to become army informers”. “You should share these things with your village elders and share your experiences on social media in the form of videos,” Naikoo advised the youth. He also threatened jail superintendents and prison staff for allegedly torturing militants in jails. “We know who is inflicting cruelties on our brothers in jails in Jammu and Kashmir. All those jail superintendents, whether Hindu or Muslim, they are all on our target.... If you do not stop these atrocities we will barge into your homes or capture you on roads,” he threatened.
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June - 2 
Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh June 2 claimed that terrorism was in its ‘last stage’ in Kashmir and over 600 militants had been killed because of the Government's decisive actions on the anti-terrorism front, reports The Times of India. His remarks come ahead of Union Home Mi
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Union Minister of State Jitendra Singh June 2 claimed that terrorism was in its ‘last stage’ in Kashmir and over 600 militants had been killed because of the Government's decisive actions on the anti-terrorism front, reports The Times of India. His remarks come ahead of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's expected visit to Jammu and Kashmir next week. "The decisive actions that the government has taken... 600 militants have been killed during the period, and this is much higher than the number of militants killed during the UPA-I and UPA-II (governments). Terrorism in the Valley is in its last stage," he told reporters in Jammu. On talks with separatist, the Minister said, "The Government of India will take a decision which will be in the interest of the country." He said, "Everybody is welcome to talk. Nobody has said that we are going to send an invitation to the separatists. Anybody (any Indian citizen) is welcome to meet me."
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June - 3 
Meanwhile, families claimed that two among the five infiltrators killed in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara District on May 25 are their wards who had joined militancy, reports Daily Excelsior on June 3. They said that two of them are Sheeraz Ahmad Sheikh of Lajoora Pulwama and Mudasir Ahmad of Parigam Ku
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Meanwhile, families claimed that two among the five infiltrators killed in Tanghdar sector of Kupwara District on May 25 are their wards who had joined militancy, reports Daily Excelsior on June 3. They said that two of them are Sheeraz Ahmad Sheikh of Lajoora Pulwama and Mudasir Ahmad of Parigam Kulgam had gone missing. Sheeraz was missing since September 2017 while as Mudasir from July 2016. The families said that they identified their kin through photographs shared by some locals on social media and demanded body for proper burial. The bodies of the two militants who were killed on May 25 have been buried on May 27 at Badwan in frontier Tanghdar sector are likely to be exhumed in a day or two for DNA tests as two Police officers have been sent to Kupwara to verify the claim of the families.
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June - 10 
Spilling the beans on Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)’s activities, its Srinagar-based operative Ashiq Baba has claimed that the deadly attack on Pulwama Police-Lines in 2017 in which eight Security Force (SFs) personnel died was led by JeM Kashmir terrorist Mufti Waqas, rep
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Spilling the beans on Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)’s activities, its Srinagar-based operative Ashiq Baba has claimed that the deadly attack on Pulwama Police-Lines in 2017 in which eight Security Force (SFs) personnel died was led by JeM Kashmir terrorist Mufti Waqas, reports The Times of India. The details of JeM’s actions form part of Baba’s interrogation after his detention for his alleged role in the attack on the Army base at Nagrota. His apprehension, said sources, is proving to be a mine of information as he had been to JeM camps in Pakistan and met top leaders close to JeM chief Maulana Masood Azhar and can provide a description of activities and jihadi leaders he met. The Pulwama attack marked the increasingly prominent role JeM has been playing. Three JeM attackers, wearing Indian combat uniforms, had struck in the early hours on August 26, 2017 in the camp which also had families of personnel.A highly wanted terrorist, Waqas, was killed in an encounter with SFs in early March 2018. He was also responsible for the February 11, 2018 attack at Sunjuwan Army Camp, in which a junior commissioned officer (JCO) was killed. The accounts of Ashiq Baba, who travelled to Pakistan several times between 2015 and 2017 to meet JeM leaders including its ‘emir’ Maulana Masood Azhar’s brother Abdul Rauf and Maulana Mufti Asghar, are helping the security forces fill gaps in information about JeM’s operations and planning. Baba had travelled to JeM’s Bahawalpur headquarters after obtaining Pakistani visas on All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Geelani (APHC-G) leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s recommendation, said sources. Baba is being questioned by National Investigation Agency (NIA).Baba is understood to have claimed that one Abdulla is specifically in charge of launching Pakistani terrorists into India from the Kashmir side of the border. He has claimed that JeM is running a terror training camp in Manshera in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Province, close to those of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), buttressing the assessment that the three anti-India terror groups work in close coordination, under the watchful eye of the Pakistan military and Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), in planning attacks on Indian civilian and security targets. Sources said Baba has played an “important link in JeM sending several groups of attackers to Kashmir over the years. He is among very few people in the valley, who were in direct touch with the top leadership of Jaish”. Intelligence reports said that JeM sent several attackers in different batches to India in 2017 and they were specifically directed to carry out spectacular attacks on the camps of SFs. “For receiving these highly trained terrorists from Pakistani, providing logistical help, identifying the targets and dropping them at attack sites, Ashiq Baba received huge amount as reward from Gulf countries,” said a source.
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June - 11 
Exhorting separatists to seize the ‘golden opportunity’ by accepting the Central Government’s offer of dialogue, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on June 11 said everyone believes the situation in the State is a political issue that cannot be resolved militarily, rep
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Exhorting separatists to seize the ‘golden opportunity’ by accepting the Central Government’s offer of dialogue, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on June 11 said everyone believes the situation in the State is a political issue that cannot be resolved militarily, reports Daily Excelsior. She said the dialogue offer made by the Centre after initiating the Ramzan ceasefire hinted at initiation of a political process. “I feel that somewhere efforts are being made to carry forward the political process. How far can the political process be taken, that will depend on how good the situation remains on the ground here,” she said. The Chief Minister said, “For ending the uncertainty and providing lasting peace in Jammu and Kashmir, everyone including the separatists should come forward and respond to the Home Minister’s offer of dialogue to resolve Jammu and Kashmir issue and other problems of the state.”The Chief Minister said everyone believed that Jammu and Kashmir is a political issue which cannot be resolved militarily. “This is a golden opportunity … It does not happen very often that (such an offer comes from) a very powerful Prime Minister. It was 18 years ago that cessation of operations happened during the time of (the then Prime Minister) A B Vajpayee. At that time, talks were held at the level of deputy PM (L K Advani) and the process seems to have been repeated again,” she said. Mufti said it was duty of all groups in the state to think about how to bring about peace and end the bloodshed.
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June - 11 
India on June 11 said it has lodged a strong protest with Islamabad over any ‘action to alter the status’ of territories illegally occupied by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir and asked it to vacate all such areas, reports Daily Excelsior. It was reacting to the changes to the Azad Jam
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India on June 11 said it has lodged a strong protest with Islamabad over any ‘action to alter the status’ of territories illegally occupied by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir and asked it to vacate all such areas, reports Daily Excelsior. It was reacting to the changes to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Interim Constitution (13th Amendment) Act, 2018, which abolished the AJK Councils’s administrative and financial powers, reducing it to an advisory body. It was clearly conveyed that the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir, which also includes the ‘so-called Azad Jammu and Kashmir’ is an integral part of India by virtue of its accession in 1947, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement in New Delhi. “Any action to alter the status of any part of the territory under forcible and illegal occupation of Pakistan has no legal basis whatsoever, and is completely unacceptable. “Instead of seeking to alter the status of the occupied territories, Pakistan should immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation,” the statement said.Early this month, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) dominated joint sitting of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and the Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Council approved the amendments to the AJK Constitution. On May 27, India had summoned Pakistan’s Deputy High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah and lodged a strong protest over Islamabad’s latest move relating to administrative authority over the Gilgit-Baltistan region, saying any action to alter the status of any part of the territory under its “forcible and illegal occupation” has no legal basis. The MEA had said it conveyed to Shah that the entire State of Jammu and Kashmir, which also includes the so-called ‘Gilgit-Baltistan’ areas, is an integral part of India by virtue of its accession in 1947. Through its order on Gilgit-Baltistan on May 21, Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi seized more authority from the local council to deal with the affairs of the region.
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June - 13 
A boy, who had gone missing from his home to join militancy, returned home due to timely intervention by Police with the support of his family in Budgam in Budgam District, reports Daily Excelsior on June 14. Sources said that the boy was upset due to some personal issues in the family and
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A boy, who had gone missing from his home to join militancy, returned home due to timely intervention by Police with the support of his family in Budgam in Budgam District, reports Daily Excelsior on June 14. Sources said that the boy was upset due to some personal issues in the family and fled home to join militancy. The family approached the Police and due to the timely intervention, he was persuaded to shun the violence and return home. Budgam Police has ensured all help to the boy so that he can lead a normal life again.
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June - 21 
Some Uttar Pradesh personnel who had found jobs in Pulwama in Pulwama District claimed that they were made to pelt stones at Security Forces (SFs) there, reports Daily Excelsior. Director General of Police (DGP), O P Singh on June 21 said that six youths from Bagpat and Saharanpur Districts hav
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Some Uttar Pradesh personnel who had found jobs in Pulwama in Pulwama District claimed that they were made to pelt stones at Security Forces (SFs) there, reports Daily Excelsior. Director General of Police (DGP), O P Singh on June 21 said that six youths from Bagpat and Saharanpur Districts have complained that they were told to take part in stone pelting. Fed up with this, they returned home, the officer added. The youths had gone to Pulwama to work as tailors at a monthly salary of INR 20,000. “We will deal with this issue very discreetly,” the DGP said. The State’s anti-terror squad will probe the matter.Baghpat’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Jai Prakash also mentioned one such case. He said a man, identified as Nasim, told Police that he and some others were kept at a factory in Pulwama. On one occasion, the labourers there took part in stone pelting. He was also asked to throw stones but he refused and escaped from the place, the SP added.
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June - 22 
Security establishment sources in Jammu and Kashmir said that major operations were now underway to target 21 ‘most wanted terrorists’, 11 from Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), seven from Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), two from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and one from Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), reports&nbs
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Security establishment sources in Jammu and Kashmir said that major operations were now underway to target 21 ‘most wanted terrorists’, 11 from Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM), seven from Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), two from Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and one from Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGH), reports The Times of India on June 23. "The focus of intelligence-gathering and counter-insurgency operations is mainly on these 21 terrorists, six of whom are placed in the highest category of 'A++' based on the number of people they have killed, their control over areas, their propaganda impact and longevity," said a source. "If these 21 can be eliminated, matters will considerably cool down and throw the terrorists' ranks into disarray... it takes time for the next set of terror leadership to come up and establish itself. Once a terrorist is categorised as A++, carrying a reward of Rs 12 lakh, his days are generally numbered, the reverse count for his elimination begins," he added.The six A++ terrorists in the list comprise four from HM - Riyaz Ahmad Naikoo (chief operational commander in the Kashmir Valley), Altaf Ahmad Dar (division commander in south Kashmir), Umar Majeed Ganai (a resident of Hawoora in Kulgam) and Zeenat-ul-Islam (Sugan in Shopian). The other two are Mustaq Ahmad Mir (Chak Cholan, Shopian) from LeT and AGH commander Zakir Rashid Bhat (Tral).Three of the LeT terrorists on the hit list are from Pakistan - Abu Muslim, Abu Zargam and Mohammed Naveed Jad - all of them in the A+ category. While the first two operate in the Hajan area, the third is active in Pulwama. The others from HM are Mohammad Ashraf Khan (Kokernag in Anantnag), Mohammad Abbas Sheikh (Kaimuh in Kulgam), Saifullah Mir (Malangpur in Pulwama), Latif Ahmad Dar (Dogirpur in Awantipur), Umar Fayaz Lone (Tral in Awantipur), Manan Wani (an AMU research scholar from Kupwara) and Junaid Ashraf Sehrai (son of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chief Ashraf Sehrai). The LeT names are Azad Ahmad Maslik (Malikpura in Anantnag), Shakoor Ahmad Dar (Tengpora in Kulgam) and Riyaz Ahmad Dar (Sethargun in Pulwama). The two from JeM are Zahid Ahmad Wani (Karimabad, Pulwama) and Mudasir Ahmad Khan (Midpur, Awantipur).
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June - 22 
The Directorate General (DG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar on June 22 said that the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) has again surfaced in Jammu and Kashmir after several years and it's a worrying trend, reports The Times of India. “I believe t
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The Directorate General (DG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar on June 22 said that the use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) has again surfaced in Jammu and Kashmir after several years and it's a worrying trend, reports The Times of India. “I believe terrorists are being trained across the border to prepare IEDs made of different compositions and plant them in the crowd, security camps or vehicles”, he said. “It is difficult to prevent grenade attacks all the time because terrorists throw it from a distance while moving on a bike, or from the crowd. We have sensitised the troops to be extra cautious about moving in the crowd, or not be pushed in a corner during an operation”, he added.
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June - 24 
General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar based 15-Chinar Corps, Lieutenant General A K Bhatt, on June 24 said that there is a small group of the Islamic State (IS) in Kashmir who have no connections with the IS apart from the ideology, reports Daily Excelsior. The GOC said in Baramulla, &ld
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General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Srinagar based 15-Chinar Corps, Lieutenant General A K Bhatt, on June 24 said that there is a small group of the Islamic State (IS) in Kashmir who have no connections with the IS apart from the ideology, reports Daily Excelsior. The GOC said in Baramulla, “As per our information there is a small group of ISIS who perhaps have ideological connection with the IS”. Lieutenant General Bhatt said that their leader along with his two associates has been killed and now only few are left. “Their leader Dawood who was of HMT Srinagar and his two associates were killed in Khiram bowl. Now there is a small group who has no backing from the IS. They have only ideological support and the IS is using name of the group only that it is connected to them”, he said.The Army Commander said that there are only few militants operating in Srinagar city and hoped that they will be neutralized on hard Police intelligence input. “In Srinagar we have no knowledge about terrorists but few terrorists are operating there. On the hard intelligence of police, operations would be conducted in Srinagar and they will be neutralized”, he added. Bhatt said that “There are 250-275 militants operating in Kashmir valley”. “We have information that there are around 250 militants on different launch pads, 25-30 of them on every launch pad, along the LoC opposite to our 19 and 28 Divisions of Army”, he added. The GOC said that as compared to last few years the number of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) militants operating in Kashmir is more and they are aiming for suicide attacks. “As compared to last few years, the number of Jaish militants is more this year. And Jaish is aiming at suicide attacks”, he said. Bhatt, however, said that troops have been neutralizing their leadership and won’t allow their designs to succeed.
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June - 24 
The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) ‘chief’ Hafiz Saeed called for the ‘independence of Kashmir’ and claimed that the local Kashmiris are ‘dying’ to unite Kashmir with Pakistan, reports The Times of India on June 25. "A new era has begun and with God's wis
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The Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) ‘chief’ Hafiz Saeed called for the ‘independence of Kashmir’ and claimed that the local Kashmiris are ‘dying’ to unite Kashmir with Pakistan, reports The Times of India on June 25. "A new era has begun and with God's wishes Kashmir will be an independent state, there has been a lot of bloodshed in Kashmir, and God almighty is watching, he will deliver his verdict, because all the decisions come from the Heaven and not from Washington. The decisions of that come from the heaven get cemented on the world and Kashmir will be freed," Hafiz said while addressing a gathering in Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium in Pakistan, according to report. Hafiz who will be contesting the upcoming General Assembly elections in Pakistan hailed the ‘spirited’ stone pelters for facing the bullets of Indian Army with stones.
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June - 26 
Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘operational chief’ Riyaz Naikoo said that the Amarnath yatris (pilgrims) were their guests and they won't be targeted, reports The New Indian Express on June 27. In an audio message, Naikoo said the HM have no plan to attack the pilgrims.
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Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) ‘operational chief’ Riyaz Naikoo said that the Amarnath yatris (pilgrims) were their guests and they won't be targeted, reports The New Indian Express on June 27. In an audio message, Naikoo said the HM have no plan to attack the pilgrims. "We will never ever attack yatris as they are our guests and come here to perform their religious rituals." "Militants have never attacked the Amarnath yatra. We are not at war with yatris. We are at war with those, who are suppressing the people of Kashmir," he said, rejecting the Police claim that militants were planning to attack the Amarnath pilgrims. "We never attacked them in the past and we don't have any enmity with them. Our fight is with those who commit cruelty against our people and those who have forced us to pick up the gun." "We want to tell Amarnath yatris that you face no threat from us. You come without security. You are our guests and don't feel frightened."However, security agencies have made tight arrangements for the annual Amarnath yatra, which commences from June 28, in view of the last year's militant attack in South Kashmir in which eight pilgrims were killed and about 19 others injured. Meanwhile, Governor NN Vohra, also the chairman of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB), was informed that more than two lakh pilgrims had secured advance registration for the Yatra.
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June - 26 
Security guard at JK Bank Pinjoora in Shopian District of Jammu and Kashmir foiled a rifle-snatching bid by the militants on June 26, reports Daily Excelsior. Police said some unidentified assailants barged inside the JK Bank and sprayed chilli powder into the eyes of the guard and tried to sna
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Security guard at JK Bank Pinjoora in Shopian District of Jammu and Kashmir foiled a rifle-snatching bid by the militants on June 26, reports Daily Excelsior. Police said some unidentified assailants barged inside the JK Bank and sprayed chilli powder into the eyes of the guard and tried to snatch his rifle. However, the guard resisted despite being sprayed with the chilli powder and in the meantime the persons fled from the scene. SFs launched massive manhunt in the area to nab the persons who tried to snatch the rifle.
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June - 27 
Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police on June 27 identified three militants responsible for the killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari who was shot dead outside his office in Srinagar on June 14, reports The Times of India. Two of the militants are locals, while the third is a Pakistani national, t
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Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Police on June 27 identified three militants responsible for the killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari who was shot dead outside his office in Srinagar on June 14, reports The Times of India. Two of the militants are locals, while the third is a Pakistani national, the Police said. The Pakistani national was identified as Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) ‘commander’ Naveed Jatt who managed to escape from Police custody on February 6 from the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh (SMHS) hospital in Srinagar. The two locals are believed to be from one of the villages in South Kashmir. Police were trying to corroborate the evidence from the ground, they said.The details about the plans to kill Bukhari surfaced during an investigation in one of the recent encounters at Kulgam during which Police officials got evidence to suggest that Jatt was in the middle of the motorcycle on which three militants were seen on the CCTV footage minutes before gunning down the journalist on June 14, they said. They said a Pakistan-based blogger, a resident of Srinagar and now settled there, has also been identified. The blogger had started a hate campaign against Bukhari after he had attended Dubai conference in 2017.
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June - 27 
The LeT on June 27 derided reports about its cadres' involvement in the killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari as an attempt to defame the outfit, reports Business Standard. In an email statement to media persons in Srinagar, LeT ‘chief’ Mahmood Shah said, "We would like to
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The LeT on June 27 derided reports about its cadres' involvement in the killing of journalist Shujaat Bukhari as an attempt to defame the outfit, reports Business Standard. In an email statement to media persons in Srinagar, LeT ‘chief’ Mahmood Shah said, "We would like to call their (Indian Army's) bluff. If Indian forces are truly convinced that this heinous crime was committed by Mujahideen (LeT militants), then they should have no objection to an independent investigation of this murder by a neutral country such as China or Russia." "We would fully cooperate in the investigation and accept the findings of the investigating agency," he said.
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June - 29 
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on June 29 stated that the Army was operating with "people-friendly" rules of engagement in the Kashmir Valley, reports NDTV. He stated that ‘Our rules of engagement are very people-friendly and we conduct operations in a very people-friendly manne
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Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on June 29 stated that the Army was operating with "people-friendly" rules of engagement in the Kashmir Valley, reports NDTV. He stated that ‘Our rules of engagement are very people-friendly and we conduct operations in a very people-friendly manner. And, motivated reports that Indian Army is carrying out brutal operations in Kashmir is not true’. The Army chief also added that ‘Our basic purpose is to go after terrorists who create violence and disturbance in the Valley. Our aim is not to cause inconvenience to civilian population who are not indulging in arson or violence’. He also stated that ‘there is nothing like stepping up... Army continues to operate with the formulated rules of engagement’. He also added that in addition to the "stringent" rules of engagement, local formation commanders continuously give guidelines to soldiers as to how to operate.
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July - 1 
Border Security Force (BSF) Director General (DG) K K Sharma on July 1 said that the force has been giving a befitting reply to unprovoked firing incidents on the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan, reports Daily Excelsior. He also stated that the BSF planned to plug gap
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Border Security Force (BSF) Director General (DG) K K Sharma on July 1 said that the force has been giving a befitting reply to unprovoked firing incidents on the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir by Pakistan, reports Daily Excelsior. He also stated that the BSF planned to plug gaps along the country’s borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh by rolling out a Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS). “BSF plays a very important role in guarding two very important borders of Pakistan and Bangladesh. We have different kinds of challenges on both the borders whereas on the Pakistan side, we know that we have a hostile neighbour. We know they keep on trying to infiltrate militants,” the BSF DG said. “They keep on indulging in ceasefire violations from time to time. They also snipe at our men. Despite of all these operational challenges, the BSF has given them a befitting reply..,” he said.
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July - 5 
On his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the imposition of Governor’s rule, Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh said on July 5 that peace and stability could be brought to the state through an honest, effective and efficient administration, reports Daily Excelsior. Singh said thi
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On his first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the imposition of Governor’s rule, Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh said on July 5 that peace and stability could be brought to the state through an honest, effective and efficient administration, reports Daily Excelsior. Singh said this after reviewing the security situation in the state at a high-level meeting attended by Governor N N Vohra, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and top civil and Police officials in Srinagar. “The dream of a developed and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir will be realised when there is peace and normalcy in the state. It is our firm resolve to bring peace, stability and prosperity through an honest, effective and efficient administration for the problems facing the state,” a statement quoted him as saying.
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July - 9 
Army chief General Bipin Rawat on July 9 expressed confidence about the preparedness of the force to take on any threat manifested by inimical or anti-national elements, reports Daily Excelsior. The Army chief staff, accompanied by General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) of Western Comma
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Army chief General Bipin Rawat on July 9 expressed confidence about the preparedness of the force to take on any threat manifested by inimical or anti-national elements, reports Daily Excelsior. The Army chief staff, accompanied by General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) of Western Command Lieutenant General Surinder Singh, visited Mamun Military Station in Pathankot in Punjab to review the operational preparedness and interact with the troops, a defence release said. Lieutenant General Mohan and GOCs of the Tiger and Gurj Divisions briefed General Rawat about the operational preparedness and upgradation of the security infrastructure, the release said.
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July - 12 
Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on July 12 described border population in Jammu and Kashmir as ‘asset for the country’ and important element to maintain border security as he directed the officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) and officials of the State Government
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Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on July 12 described border population in Jammu and Kashmir as ‘asset for the country’ and important element to maintain border security as he directed the officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) and officials of the State Government to improve social and economic infrastructure in the border areas to ensure that these people continue to live in the border villages, adds Daily Excelsior.
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July - 13 
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 13 rejected a United Nations (UN) report on alleged human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying Indian Army exercises maximum restraint in carrying out operations in the troubled State, reports Daily Excelsior. “It was a report which was
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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 13 rejected a United Nations (UN) report on alleged human rights violation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying Indian Army exercises maximum restraint in carrying out operations in the troubled State, reports Daily Excelsior. “It was a report which was prepared sitting somewhere else. The assessment is totally without basis. The Indian Army shows maximum restraint in conducting operations including in J&K,” she said. Asked about recruitment of youths in Kashmir by militant outfits, Sitharaman said the Security Forces (SFs) are keeping an eye on it. “We are also focusing who is behind motivating them (to join the militant outfits),” she said. She also said that the Army has not been given any fresh instructions after Jammu and Kashmir was brought under the Governor’s rule.
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July - 18 
100 militants, 43 Security Force (SF) personnel and 16 civilians were killed in 256 incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir during the first six months of this year (2018), Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said in Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian Parliament)
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100 militants, 43 Security Force (SF) personnel and 16 civilians were killed in 256 incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir during the first six months of this year (2018), Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said in Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian Parliament) on July 18, reports Daily Excelsior. In 2017, 342 incidents of violence were reported in the State, in which 213 terrorists were gunned down. A total of 80 SF personnel and 40 civilians were killed last year, Ahir said. As many as 82 SF personnel, 15 civilians and 150 terrorists were killed in the State in 2016, which witnessed 322 cases of terrorist violence, he said.
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July - 23 
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on July 23 announced that it has issued broad guidelines for security of defence installations from the terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including risk categorization, security audit and upgradation of Intelligence gathering etc to ensure that the militants don&r
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The Ministry of Defence (MoD) on July 23 announced that it has issued broad guidelines for security of defence installations from the terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir, including risk categorization, security audit and upgradation of Intelligence gathering etc to ensure that the militants don’t manage to target the security camps again, reports Daily Excelsior. Minister of State for Defence Dr Subash Bhamre announced the guidelines and other measures taken to prevent attacks on security camps and other installations in the Rajya Sabha (the upper house of Indian Parliament) on July 23. “The Government has issued broad guidelines for security of defence installations and in compliance with the guidelines, the Defence forces have taken a number of actions,” the Minister said.
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July - 24 
A total of 338 incidents of ceasefire violation and cross-border firings were reported in Jammu and Kashmir during the month of Ramzan, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on July 24, reports Daily Excelsior. At least 14 Security Forces (SFs) personnel and 11 ci
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A total of 338 incidents of ceasefire violation and cross-border firings were reported in Jammu and Kashmir during the month of Ramzan, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said on July 24, reports Daily Excelsior. At least 14 Security Forces (SFs) personnel and 11 civilians were killed in the cross-border firing from Pakistan in April and June, he told the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament). “During the month of Ramzan – from May 17 to June 16 – altogether 338 incidents of ceasefire violation and cross-border firings were reported in Jammu and Kashmir as against 139 during April 16 to May 16,” the Minister said, replying to a written question.Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, responding to a separate question, on July 24 said as many as 272 infiltrations were reported along the Indo-Myanmar border, 108 along the Indo-Pakistan border and just five along the Indo-Bangladesh border in 2015-17.
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July - 29 
Kashmiri separatists on July 29 called for a two-day strike in the Valley from August 5 against what they called ‘serious challenge’ to Article 35A of the Constitution – relating to special rights and privileges of permanent residents of the State – and warned of a ‘mas
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Kashmiri separatists on July 29 called for a two-day strike in the Valley from August 5 against what they called ‘serious challenge’ to Article 35A of the Constitution – relating to special rights and privileges of permanent residents of the State – and warned of a ‘mass agitation’ if any tinkering is allowed with the Constitutional provision, reports Daily Excelsior. “JRL (Joint Resistance Leadership) met to deliberate serious challenge posed to Art (Article) 35A, want to make it clear to GoI (Government of India) any and every attempt made at changing the demographic nature of the State will be stiffly resisted,” All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M)chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said in a Tweet. JRL – a unified front of the separatists – comprises Mirwaiz, hardline All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Geelani (APHC-G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu & Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Mohammad Yasin Malik. Mirwaiz said the separatists were in touch with all the sections of the society including legal fraternity, traders, civil society and academia.
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August - 2 
Kashmiri separatist and the leader of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), AsiyaAndrabi was in regular touch with the former Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and often spoke to his foreign policy adviser Sartaz Aziz, the leader of the DeM told National Investigation Agency (NIA), reports The Ti
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Kashmiri separatist and the leader of the Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), AsiyaAndrabi was in regular touch with the former Prime Minister (PM) of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif and often spoke to his foreign policy adviser Sartaz Aziz, the leader of the DeM told National Investigation Agency (NIA), reports The Times of India on August 2. Andrabi is also said to have spoken of her contacts with Pakistan high commission officials in New Delhi, former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) ‘chief’ Hamid Gul, besides United Nations (UN) designated global terrorists Hafiz Saeed and Syed Salahuddin to discuss ‘freeing’ Kashmir from India. She also disclosed that she sent a letter to Nawaz Sharif in 2014 stating “Pakistan is not doing anything for Kashmir”. Sharif replied to her saying, “We are doing our best”. Later, on November 28, 2015 when her mother died, Nawaz Sharif sent her a condolence letter through post.
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August - 10 
Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh on August 10 asked the troops deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain tight vigil and thwart infiltration of militants from the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), reports Daily Excelsior.The Army Commander visite
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Northern Army Commander Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh on August 10 asked the troops deployed along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir to maintain tight vigil and thwart infiltration of militants from the Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK), reports Daily Excelsior.The Army Commander visited forward areas of North Kashmir to review prevailing security situation on the LoC. The Army Commander was told that the troops along the LoC are alert and there is round the clock vigil so that the infiltration of militants into Valley is prevented. He was told that besides counter infiltration fence that is major obstacle for infiltration, the troops are patrolling along the fence to prevent infiltration.This year (2018) despite tight vigil along the LoC, 59 militants managed to infiltrate into Kashmir from PoK. The troops have been told by the Commander to plug any gaps in the counter-infiltration grid.
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August - 16 
Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Anil Chouhan on August 16 told his Pakistani counterpart that infiltration attempts by the terrorists were a major cause of concern saying these activities have increased in the areas of North of Pir Panjal mountain ranges, reports Da
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Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lieutenant General Anil Chouhan on August 16 told his Pakistani counterpart that infiltration attempts by the terrorists were a major cause of concern saying these activities have increased in the areas of North of Pir Panjal mountain ranges, reports Daily Excelsior. Lieutenant General Chouhan made his stand clear during the DGMO level talks between India and Pakistan on August 16, which were initiated at the behest of latter. “The Indian DGMO emphatically stated that infiltration attempts were a major cause of concern. He also informed the Pakistan DGMO that these activities have increased in the areas of North of Pir Panjal mountain ranges. Pakistan must institute measures to prevent infiltration from the launch pads located on its side of the Line of Control (LoC),’’ official sources said. They said the Pakistani DGMO gave an assurance that Pakistan army would take prompt action against move of inimical elements in proximity to the LoC and respond to information shared by the Indian side thereby facilitating conduct of anti-terrorist operations.
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August - 24 
Director General (DG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), RR Bhatnagar on August 24 said that nearly 142 militants have been killed in anti-terrorist operations this year so far while over 200-250 militants were still operating in Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior. The DG asserted that the law an
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Director General (DG) of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), RR Bhatnagar on August 24 said that nearly 142 militants have been killed in anti-terrorist operations this year so far while over 200-250 militants were still operating in Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior. The DG asserted that the law and order situation is “better” in Kashmir now as compared to last year and the number of injured personnel has also come down. Not only this, the stone-pelting incidents have also come down considerably. While speaking on the general security scenario, the DG said it has shown improvement in Kashmir and the stone- pelting by youth has also shown considerable decline. He disclosed that security forces have eliminated nearly 142 militants so far during this year.
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September - 1 
Hardening stand against militants in the wake of surge in violence following abduction of Police personnel’s kin, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on September 1 declared that there will be no compromise with violence in Kashmir and said it was due to pressure build by Security Forces (SFs) on the
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Hardening stand against militants in the wake of surge in violence following abduction of Police personnel’s kin, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on September 1 declared that there will be no compromise with violence in Kashmir and said it was due to pressure build by Security Forces (SFs) on the militants that they were forced to release all 11 relatives of the Police personnel abducted by them in South Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior. “Security forces built strong pressure on the militants in the Kashmir valley after kidnapping of 11 kin of police personnel from different places in South Kashmir. Within 35 hours, the militants were compelled to release all the hostages,” Rajnath said. He declared that there will be no compromise with any kind of violence in Kashmir and also warned Pakistan to mend its ways.
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September - 4 
Having a separate Constitution for Jammu and Kashmir was probably an ‘aberration’, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval said on September 4 as he stressed that sovereignty can never be compromised, reports Daily Excelsior. Doval’s remarks on Kashmir come at a time the Supreme Court (SC) is hea
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Having a separate Constitution for Jammu and Kashmir was probably an ‘aberration’, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval said on September 4 as he stressed that sovereignty can never be compromised, reports Daily Excelsior. Doval’s remarks on Kashmir come at a time the Supreme Court (SC) is hearing pleas challenging the Constitutional validity of Article 35-A of the Constitution, which provides special rights and privileges to permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir.Doval said sovereignty ‘cannot be a diluted and ill-defined’, and added that when the ‘British left, probably they did not want to leave India as a strong sovereign State.’
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September - 7 
General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps of Army Lieutenant General A K Bhatt on September 7 said that Army will increase operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of elections for their smooth conduct, reports Daily Excelsior.Speaking to reporters in South Kashmir, he said that it is
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General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps of Army Lieutenant General A K Bhatt on September 7 said that Army will increase operations against militants in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of elections for their smooth conduct, reports Daily Excelsior.Speaking to reporters in South Kashmir, he said that it is the duty of Army to maintain peace. “It is the duty of Army to have peace and prosperity so that elections will be conducted successfully”, he said.Bhatt said that they will step up anti militancy operations ahead of elections for achieving peace. “We will do our best for this and will be continuously conducting counter terrorist operations against terrorists. In present or any situation, it’s the duty of Indian Army to diffuse terrorist organizations and we will continue doing so”, he said.
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September - 21 
based on initial probe, Police on September 21 said that the abduction and killings of three Special Police Officers (SPOs) were executed by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), adds Daily Excelsior. Earlier SATP reported that Terrorists killed three Policemen after abducting them from
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based on initial probe, Police on September 21 said that the abduction and killings of three Special Police Officers (SPOs) were executed by Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), adds Daily Excelsior. Earlier SATP reported that Terrorists killed three Policemen after abducting them from Shopian District early September 21. Those abducted were identified as Firdous Ahmad Kuchey and Kuldeep Singh – both residents of Batgund Shopian, and Nisar Ahmad Dhobi and Fayaz Ahmad Bhat, residents of Kapran. Fayaz Ahmad is the brother of a Policeman, who was let off.Police on September 21 morning recovered bodies of the three Policemen from nearby Wangam village and they were shot multiple times. Bashir Ahmad Dhobi, brother of one of the killed cops, Nisar Ahmad Dhobi said, “I was preparing for morning prayers when militants came and took my brother along. They said that they have to make a video and will let him off. But after half an hour we heard firing. We rushed to the area and recovered three dead bodies after around an hour”. Inspector General of Police (IGP), S P Panion September 21 said that the three Policemen were found dead near an orchard in Wangam village, few kilometres from the spot of their abduction. “It is a cowardly act by terrorists. Three of our colleagues were martyred. We are investigating the incident. We will take appreciate action against those responsible for it”, he said.Security Forces (SFs) immediately reached the spot and a massive operation was launched in the area against the militants responsible for the killing of the Policemen.
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September - 21 
The Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh on September 21 described the videos of the SPOs, that appeared in social media and in which they were saying that they have resigned from services, as propaganda on part of militants, reports Daily Excelsior. “It is a propaganda move by the enemies
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The Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh on September 21 described the videos of the SPOs, that appeared in social media and in which they were saying that they have resigned from services, as propaganda on part of militants, reports Daily Excelsior. “It is a propaganda move by the enemies. They have been trying these types of tactics in past also. Our SPOs are most low rank of a police force and they have their families to take care of”, he said.“It is a 30,000 strong force of SPOs spread over length and breadth of the State. Most of them are doing wonderful job and they are helpful to people. They have been doing their job in the interest of people and appreciated by all. We too stand by the families of the martyred SPOs in this hour of grief”, he said.The DGP described the SPOs as wonderful force who are doing great job. “It is more of a rumour mongering kind of thing that is going on. if there is anything like it that will be looked into. It is a wonderful force and we have been seriously concerned about the welfare of them in past and even now there is big scheme for the welfare of the SPOs which is under consideration of the Government”, he said.
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September - 22 
Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on September 22 said stern action is needed to avenge the barbarism by terrorists and the Pakistan army against Indian soldiers without resorting to brutality, reports Daily Excelsior. The comment comes after a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan (trooper) was shot and h
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Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on September 22 said stern action is needed to avenge the barbarism by terrorists and the Pakistan army against Indian soldiers without resorting to brutality, reports Daily Excelsior. The comment comes after a Border Security Force (BSF) jawan (trooper) was shot and his throat slit recently, followed by the abduction and brutal killings of three Policemen in Jammu and Kashmir. “We need to take stern action to avenge the kind of barbarism that terrorists and the Pakistan army have been carrying out against our soldiers. It is time to give it back to them in the same coin, but not by resorting to similar kind of barbarism. I think the other side must feel the same pain,” the Army chief said. Referring to the killing of the BSF solider whose mutilated body was found in Jammu, the Army chief said such acts were unacceptable and there was a need to avenge it. He said the Indian Army had carried out successful operations against the Pakistan Army whenever they did something against India along the border. “Pakistan has suffered many casualties and we have been able to take on their defence system to a large extent, but we never resorted to barbarism. They requested for a ceasefire in May and we agreed, but if they continue to do this, we will need to take other action,” Rawat said. “If you look at it, the casualty and damage suffered by the other side is far more than what we have been suffering. We have done it a professional and a military-like manner,” he insisted. The Army chief also made it clear that India and the Indian Army would not be scared by any threat from Pakistan.
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September - 22 
Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on September 22 said that Urban Local Body and Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held as per schedule, reports Daily Excelsior. Singh said these polls would give all parties an opportunity to interact with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Singh reit
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Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on September 22 said that Urban Local Body and Panchayat polls in Jammu and Kashmir will be held as per schedule, reports Daily Excelsior. Singh said these polls would give all parties an opportunity to interact with the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Singh reiterated the Centre’s resolve to wipe out terrorism from the restive State, and asserted there was “no question right now” of talks with Pakistan till it ends its support to terrorism. “Under present circumstances, talks cannot happen with Pakistan,” Singh said.
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September - 24 
In view of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on September 24 said he believed there was a need for another surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), reports Daily Excelsior. In response to a question on whether there is a need fo
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In view of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir, Army chief General Bipin Rawat on September 24 said he believed there was a need for another surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC), reports Daily Excelsior. In response to a question on whether there is a need for one more surgical strike, Rawat responded in affirmative. “I believe there is a need for one more action (surgical strike). But I would not want to disclose how we want to do it,” he said. The Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control on September 29 two years ago.
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September - 24 
Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on September 24 said that the Government is “ready to talk to everyone” over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is “Pakistan-sponsored”, reports Daily Excelsior. He said, “I think the (Kashmir) matter will be resolved. We are ready
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Union Home Minister (UHM) Rajnath Singh on September 24 said that the Government is “ready to talk to everyone” over the Kashmir issue, while asserting that terrorism in the Valley is “Pakistan-sponsored”, reports Daily Excelsior. He said, “I think the (Kashmir) matter will be resolved. We are ready to talk to everyone. As far as terrorism is concerned, all security agencies are working in coordination.” “Terrorism in Kashmir is Pakistan-sponsored,” he said.
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September - 28 
All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik condemned the killing of man in Noorbagh area of Srinagar and called for a complete shutdown and protests on September 28 (Friday), adds Daily Excelsior.
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All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik condemned the killing of man in Noorbagh area of Srinagar and called for a complete shutdown and protests on September 28 (Friday), adds Daily Excelsior.
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September - 29 
"There are about 250 terrorists in 27 launch pads across the LoC [Line of Control]. There is neither a dip nor a change in policy on terrorism in Pakistan,'' said Brigadier YS Ahlawat, commander of a Brigade at the LoC, reports India Today on September 29. The Army has adopted a robust posture along
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"There are about 250 terrorists in 27 launch pads across the LoC [Line of Control]. There is neither a dip nor a change in policy on terrorism in Pakistan,'' said Brigadier YS Ahlawat, commander of a Brigade at the LoC, reports India Today on September 29. The Army has adopted a robust posture along the LoC tracking the movement of terrorists and even Pakistan Army regulars close to the LoC. As the soldiers spot some suspicious movement across the LoC, they open fire. "We are taking no chances. In this high altitude sector the moment there is any suspicious movement close to the fence (multi-tiered anti-infiltration obstacle system) at night the soldiers open speculative fire,'' a young army captain, leading the team said. The army is apprehensive about heightened activity seen on the multiple surveillance devices that keep a hawk eye on launch pads in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). "Pakistan will try to disrupt the panchayat and urban body elections in Jammu and Kashmir. It does not want democracy to be strengthened at the grassroot level in the state. But we are alert and will not let Pakistan succeed,'' Brigadier Ahlawat said. The intelligence inputs reveal that a group of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists will try to infiltrate into North Kashmir from their launch pads.
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October - 5 
Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh said on October 5 that during past one week, Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested 450-500 over ground supporters of the militants, who were issuing threats and indulging in conspiracies to sabotage ongoing election process for Municipal and Panchayat
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Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh said on October 5 that during past one week, Jammu and Kashmir Police have arrested 450-500 over ground supporters of the militants, who were issuing threats and indulging in conspiracies to sabotage ongoing election process for Municipal and Panchayat elections, reports Daily Excelsior. DGP said the present situation in Kashmir is not the new one as they have been witnessing such situation for past 30 years now. However, he said, Police have made adequate arrangements for smooth conduct of the local polls. “Only two days back, we have busted a terror network which was engaged in torching of houses and Panchayat Ghars in the Valley with a view to spread panic among the people. Yet another group, which had been assigned the task of shooting the people has also been nabbed,” the State Police chief said. He said the third group was busted in Awantipora today [October 5], which was linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) outfit and had also been assigned the task of sabotaging the polls. The fourth group was captured in Handwara, where youths posing with guns were circulating videos threatening the people against participation in the election process. “During past one week, we have nabbed 450 to 500 over ground sympathizers of the militants, who were involved in the conspiracies to sabotage polls,” Dilbag said, adding that Jammu and Kashmir Police along with other security agencies was fully prepared to meet any kind of threats.
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October - 16 
Commenting over the arrested Kashmiri youths from private academic institute in Jalandhar, Punjab’s Chief Minister (CM) (Capt) Amarinder Singh has said that not every Kashmiri student is a terrorist and the Police could not establish any connection between the arrested Kashmiri youth with the locals
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Commenting over the arrested Kashmiri youths from private academic institute in Jalandhar, Punjab’s Chief Minister (CM) (Capt) Amarinder Singh has said that not every Kashmiri student is a terrorist and the Police could not establish any connection between the arrested Kashmiri youth with the locals, reports The Tribune on October 16. The role of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) cannot be ruled out, been active in Punjab and conspiring anti-India activities through students from Kashmir, said (Capt) Singh.
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October - 21 
Governor Satya Pal Malik on October 21 favoured holding of early Assembly elections in the State, saying he does not think a popular Government can be formed out of the present House after the collapse, reports Daily Excelsior. Malik said that Government can’t be formed out of the present Assembly.
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Governor Satya Pal Malik on October 21 favoured holding of early Assembly elections in the State, saying he does not think a popular Government can be formed out of the present House after the collapse, reports Daily Excelsior. Malik said that Government can’t be formed out of the present Assembly.
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October - 27 
Reacting on death of soldier Rajendra Singh, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on October 27 reiterated his earlier stand that the stone-pelters are nothing but over ground workers of terror outfits reports Daily Excelsior. “I still say the same… If they (stone-pelters) can kill people with such acts, are
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Reacting on death of soldier Rajendra Singh, Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on October 27 reiterated his earlier stand that the stone-pelters are nothing but over ground workers of terror outfits reports Daily Excelsior. “I still say the same… If they (stone-pelters) can kill people with such acts, are they not becoming like terrorists,” he said. He added that stone-pelters should be dealt with sternly. Gen. Rawat also sent a tough message to Pakistan, saying if Islamabad continues to support cross-border terrorism, then the Indian Army can resort to “other actions” too.
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October - 29 
Reacting to the reports that three defence personnel were killed in suspected sniper attacks by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists since mid-September 2018, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on October 29 said the Army was looking into reports of snipers entering the Kashmir Valley to target defence per
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Reacting to the reports that three defence personnel were killed in suspected sniper attacks by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists since mid-September 2018, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on October 29 said the Army was looking into reports of snipers entering the Kashmir Valley to target defence personnel, reports Daily Excelsior. He said to say snipers have come into the Valley was “premature”. He said the security force was studying whether the attacks were carried out by snipers. “Whether these attacks have been done by snipers or not, this is something we are still studying. But to say that snipers have infiltrated and that they have sniper weapons…We have not found any sniper weapon...,” he added. Based on intelligence inputs, security agencies believe that at least two separate ‘buddy’ groups of the JeM comprising two terrorists each entered Kashmir Valley in early September and have entrenched themselves in Pulwama District with the help of some overground supporters of the outfit. These terrorists, according to the officials, have been thoroughly trained by Pakistan’s external intelligence agency ISI for carrying out sniper attacks in the Valley and have been armed with M-4 carbines, used by the US-led allied forces in Afghanistan.
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November - 3 
General-Officer-Commanding (GoC) of 15 Corps, Lieutenant General A K Bhatt on November 3 said that the militant recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir is on decline during past two months, reports Daily Excelsior. Lieutenant General Bhatt said that the recruitment of local youth in militant outfits has be
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General-Officer-Commanding (GoC) of 15 Corps, Lieutenant General A K Bhatt on November 3 said that the militant recruitment in Jammu and Kashmir is on decline during past two months, reports Daily Excelsior. Lieutenant General Bhatt said that the recruitment of local youth in militant outfits has been persistent during past couple of years. “However, we have seen a drop in it (recruitment) in past two months,” he said adding: “We believe that youth of Kashmir will follow right path and there will be even lesser recruitment.” When asked about the reports of Ehtesham Bilal, a missing B Tech student from Khanyar area in Srinagar District joining the global militant organization Islamic State (IS), the GOC said that there were media reports and some messages were circulating on social media. “There is no official confirmation about the boy joining IS. In Kashmir, IS doesn’t have much influence,” he said.
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November - 11 
The terror infrastructure in Pakistan remains intact and around 160 terrorists are waiting across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Indian territory, a senior Army officer said on November 11, reports Daily Excelsior. Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh, who took over as the General-Officer
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The terror infrastructure in Pakistan remains intact and around 160 terrorists are waiting across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Indian territory, a senior Army officer said on November 11, reports Daily Excelsior. Lieutenant General Paramjit Singh, who took over as the General-Officer-Commanding (GoC) of the Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, commonly known as XVI Corps, also said that cross-border terrorism will stop only if Pakistan changes its policy and intentions. The officer, involved in the planning of the 2016 surgical strikes on the terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir, said that the Army was not letting up on “our preparedness and the counter-infiltration grid is strong enough to deal with infiltrators”. He said, “140 to 160 terrorists at different locations in Pakistan are being pushed into the state.” “The terror infrastructure is intact, and Pakistan’s intentions have not changed. The Pakistan Army and the ISI’s complicity in planning infiltration and terror attacks is evident and it continues,” the officer, who has a vast experience in high-altitude warfare, said.
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November - 12 
General-Officer-Commanding (GoC) 15 Corps, Lieutenant General A K Bhatt on November 12 said there was no ‘concrete evidence’ that the missing youth Ehtisham Bilal Sofi has joined militant outfit Islamic State (ISIS), reports Greater Kashmir. "Facts about his joining militant outfit are being ascerta
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General-Officer-Commanding (GoC) 15 Corps, Lieutenant General A K Bhatt on November 12 said there was no ‘concrete evidence’ that the missing youth Ehtisham Bilal Sofi has joined militant outfit Islamic State (ISIS), reports Greater Kashmir. "Facts about his joining militant outfit are being ascertained," he said. While referring to the Sharda university incident in which Ehtisham and two other Kashmiri students were allegedly thrashed, Bhat said the Kashmiri students studying in different states of the country “should be taken care of and it should be ensure that such incidents don’t take place”. He appealed to the Kashmiri youths to join mainstream politics and play their role in the nation building. He said there is no such operation like 'operation all out' and reiterated that local militants can surrender even during the encounter and all doors are open for them.
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November - 14 
The Punjab Police has claimed that six or seven Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants [unidentified], who stole a taxi SUV near Madhopur on November 14, might have crossed-over Punjab and heading towards Delhi, reports The Tribune on November 16. The Punjab Police has the photographs of the four carjacke
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The Punjab Police has claimed that six or seven Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants [unidentified], who stole a taxi SUV near Madhopur on November 14, might have crossed-over Punjab and heading towards Delhi, reports The Tribune on November 16. The Punjab Police has the photographs of the four carjackers. The photographs, obtained from CCTV footage, are not sharp enough. We have engaged professionals for help. In all probability, we will be sharing these with the public on November 16 [today]. We are following certain leads to trace the accused. Hopefully, we will crack the case in a day or so, said Pathankot’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Vivek Sheel Soni.
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November - 16 
All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on November 16 said that Hurriyat was never against elections but holding polls in presence of lakhs of forces is nothing but a military exercise aimed at damaging Kashmir, adds Daily Excelsior. Addressing a Friday gathe
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All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on November 16 said that Hurriyat was never against elections but holding polls in presence of lakhs of forces is nothing but a military exercise aimed at damaging Kashmir, adds Daily Excelsior. Addressing a Friday gathering at Jamia Masjid, he said elections were meaningless in presence of AFSPA [Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act], mass arrests of separatist leaders and the killings of youth. “We believe in democracy but not the one prevailing in Kashmir under presence of lakhs of forces who are out to muzzle all democratic rights of people. Here the meaning of democracy is military might,” said the Mirwaiz. Mirwaiz said no one is averse to elections, it is an established democratic practice across the globe where people exercise their choice and decide who and how they want to be ruled but in Kashmir that is not the case.
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November - 16 
The Army’s northern command chief Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh on November 16 said there is a relative decline in the number of youths joining militancy in Kashmir for the past some time, reports Daily Excelsior. However, he said there have been a large number of reports of radicalisation of yout
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The Army’s northern command chief Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh on November 16 said there is a relative decline in the number of youths joining militancy in Kashmir for the past some time, reports Daily Excelsior. However, he said there have been a large number of reports of radicalisation of youths in the Valley. “As far as recruitment is concerned, it is a matter of satisfaction that for the past some time there has been a relative decline in the number of youths joining militancy,” Singh said. He did not specify the time period. The trend should continue for some time, he said, replying to a question about the current trend of youths joining militancy.
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November - 19 
The Kashmir Police is investigating various social media accounts propagating videos of ‘executions’ carried out by militants recently, Inspector General of Police (IGP) S P Pani said in Srinagar on November 19, reports Daily Excelsior. Militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) has released two such v
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The Kashmir Police is investigating various social media accounts propagating videos of ‘executions’ carried out by militants recently, Inspector General of Police (IGP) S P Pani said in Srinagar on November 19, reports Daily Excelsior. Militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) has released two such videos in which two civilians, abducted by the outfit, were killed in front of camera. “These crimes (on-camera executions carried out by militants) are terror and gruesome crimes. Their propaganda on social media is also a crime. A case already stands registered in this matter and those propagating such type of content, there are some handles which are propagating them, we are investigating them,” Pani said.
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November - 21 
Army chief General Bipin Rawat on November 21 said that what was happening in Jammu and Kashmir was very clearly externally-backed terrorism and not insurgency as youth were being radicalized and compelled to join militancy and asserted that ceasefire violations by Pakistan army on the Line of Contr
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Army chief General Bipin Rawat on November 21 said that what was happening in Jammu and Kashmir was very clearly externally-backed terrorism and not insurgency as youth were being radicalized and compelled to join militancy and asserted that ceasefire violations by Pakistan army on the Line of Control (LoC) were clearly aimed at facilitating infiltration of the militants into the State, reports Daily Excelsior.In an interview, General Rawat said the stone-pelters, who reach the site of encounters knowing that Security Forces (SFs) are dealing with the militants, they can’t be nationalists.“It is very clear terrorism and not insurgency. The terrorism is externally abetted. The youth are being radicalized and even compelled to join the militancy,” he said.
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November - 28 
Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh on November 28 said that Naved’s killing is a big success and people will heave a sigh of relief after his killing. He added that the civilian atrocities, abduction, killings in South Kashmir were being done on his directions. He said that the Police is
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Director General of Police (DGP), Dilbag Singh on November 28 said that Naved’s killing is a big success and people will heave a sigh of relief after his killing. He added that the civilian atrocities, abduction, killings in South Kashmir were being done on his directions. He said that the Police is targeting the top commanders and Naved was also one among them. However, he said that the militant recruitments has decreased as militants have failed to make any recruitment for the last two months, which DGP said is indication that people are getting aware about the futility of violence. Singh also said besides recruitments, the stone pelting incidents have also decreased in the Valley, which is proof of people’s cooperation with the forces. “We are trying to ensure the operations without any collateral damage. The stone pelting incidents are have decreased but some incidents still there. Therefore, I appeal to the youth to stay away from encounter sites and stone pelting,” he said. He also added that he will write to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) to inform Islamabad to take Naved’s body.
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December - 11 
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)’s Jammu and Kashmir ‘chief’ Mehmood Shah on December 11 said that those waving Islamic State (ISIS) flags in Jammu and Kashmir are ‘Indian agents’, reports Greater Kashmir. “Those waving ISIS flags have a vicious motive of sabotaging the indigenous struggle of Kashmir by aligni
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Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT)’s Jammu and Kashmir ‘chief’ Mehmood Shah on December 11 said that those waving Islamic State (ISIS) flags in Jammu and Kashmir are ‘Indian agents’, reports Greater Kashmir. “Those waving ISIS flags have a vicious motive of sabotaging the indigenous struggle of Kashmir by aligning it with fake activities of ISIS,” LeT spokesperson Dr Abdullah Ghaznavi quoted Shah as having said in a statement to local news agency GNS. “Beware, whoever waves ISIS flag will have to face fierce resistance,” Shah said.
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December - 12 
Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir on December 12 said in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) 238 terrorists were eliminated by Security Forces (SFs) in Jammu and Kashmir till December 2, 2018, reports Daily Excelsior. There were 587 incidents of terrorist violence in the State till D
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Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Ahir on December 12 said in Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Parliament) 238 terrorists were eliminated by Security Forces (SFs) in Jammu and Kashmir till December 2, 2018, reports Daily Excelsior. There were 587 incidents of terrorist violence in the State till December 2 this year in which 86 SFs personnel and 37 civilians were also killed. In the corresponding period in 2017, there were 329 incidents of terrorist violence in the State in which 200 militants were eliminated while 74 SFs personnel and 36 civilians were also killed in these incidents. As many as 759 incidents of stone pelting were reported in Jammu and Kashmir so far this year, the Rajya Sabha was informed. “There are instances of stone pelting during anti-militancy operations in Jammu and Kashmir. The State Government has reported that 759 cases have been registered against stone pelters in 2018,” Hansraj Ahir said replying to a written question. Hansraj Ahir also said the violence in Jammu and Kashmir has been “sponsored and supported” from across the border and it has direct links to the infiltration.
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December - 16 
Army chief General Bipin Rawat on December 16 said that the Kashmiri youth are being forced into stone pelting either due to fear of terrorism or lured by money and asserted that the youth carrying stones should fall into some category of terrorism even though law doesn’t accept stone as a weapon, r
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Army chief General Bipin Rawat on December 16 said that the Kashmiri youth are being forced into stone pelting either due to fear of terrorism or lured by money and asserted that the youth carrying stones should fall into some category of terrorism even though law doesn’t accept stone as a weapon, reports Daily Excelsior. General Rawat said, “a youth who carries stone in his hands is not really a terrorist but supporting terrorism should come in some category of terrorists. All people who disrupt operations are part of terrorist organizations and we have to deal with those, who have stone in their hands”. Asserting that stone is as good a weapon as rifle, he said the civilians and security force personnel are being killed with stones and, therefore, “we have asked the Army jawans to use weapon against stone pelters but only injure them”. “Some of them are being lured by money. Others were being pressurized that the militants will knock their doors in the night if they don’t pick up the stones. A fear is being generated among the youth (to pick up stones),” he asserted.
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December - 18 
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on December 18 said that the Indian Army has been targeting and destroying terrorist camps in Pakistan to reduce number of infiltration attempts and militants sneaking into this side and declared that Pakistan has been isolated globally for aiding and abetting ter
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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on December 18 said that the Indian Army has been targeting and destroying terrorist camps in Pakistan to reduce number of infiltration attempts and militants sneaking into this side and declared that Pakistan has been isolated globally for aiding and abetting terrorism, reports Daily Excelsior. “We are doing it. We are finishing them (the terrorist camps). Please don’t ask for proof. I won’t disclose where, but we have been targeting and destroying the terrorist camps (in Pakistan),’’ Sitharaman said. Reiterating that Pakistan continued to support terrorism and hasn’t taken any action on the dossiers given by India, the Defence Minister said the militants are still trying to infiltrate though their number has reduced.“W e are not leaving them. We are finishing them (the militants),’’ she said. Nirmala Sitharaman’s statement assumed significance as Indian Army has been retaliated to ceasefire violations from Pakistan very effectively. There were reports that the ceasefire violations were aimed at infiltrating militants into Jammu and Kashmir. “We are trying to decimate infiltration. We are in process of this. Army has been doing a lot on the borders,’’ the Defence Minister said. However, she refused to disclose the Government strategy on dealing with the situation in Kashmir.
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December - 19 
After completion of six months of Governor’s rule on December 19, Jammu and Kashmir came under President’s rule from midnight paving the way for the Union Cabinet to take all policy decisions related to the militancy-hit State, reports Daily Excelsior. President Ram Nath Kovind signed the proclamati
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After completion of six months of Governor’s rule on December 19, Jammu and Kashmir came under President’s rule from midnight paving the way for the Union Cabinet to take all policy decisions related to the militancy-hit State, reports Daily Excelsior. President Ram Nath Kovind signed the proclamation for imposition of President’s rule in the State. The gazette notification issued on December 19 afternoon by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA), Department of Jammu and Kashmir Affairs, said the President has received a report from Governor Satya Pal Malik and after considering it and other information, he was “satisfied” that President’s rule in the State was needed. “In pursuance of the proclamation issued by me under Article 356 of the Constitution of India, I hereby direct that all the functions of the Government of the State of Jammu and Kashmir and all the powers vested in or exercisable by the Governor of that State shall, subject to the superintendence, direction and control of the President, (and) be exercisable also by the Governor of the State,” the notification said.
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December - 19 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 19 said that he as well as the Central Government were committed to empowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will stand with local Government representatives for welfare of the State and fulfill aspirations of the masses, reports Daily Excelsior. He
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on December 19 said that he as well as the Central Government were committed to empowerment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir and will stand with local Government representatives for welfare of the State and fulfill aspirations of the masses, reports Daily Excelsior. He also hoped that empowerment of democratic institutions in Jammu and Kashmir will be a significant step in taking the State away from path of violence. Asserting that he had inputs of violence to disrupt restoration of democratic process in the State during Panchayat and Municipal elections, Modi said he was delighted with outcome of the civic bodies elections, which were completely violence free with massive 74 percent turnout notwithstanding boycott calls of the two mainstream parties and threats by the separatists. The Prime Minister conveyed this to 48 newly elected Sarpanchs from all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir, who called on him in New Delhi on December 19 under the leadership of Shafiq Mir, president of All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval was also present during the meeting.
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December - 20 
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on December 20 said that financing from across the border (Pakistan) for militants and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir remained a cause of concern and charged the separatists with trying to exploit every possible situation in the Valley to further ‘anti-India senti
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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on December 20 said that financing from across the border (Pakistan) for militants and separatists in Jammu and Kashmir remained a cause of concern and charged the separatists with trying to exploit every possible situation in the Valley to further ‘anti-India sentiments’, leading to law and order problem, reports Daily Excelsior. He charged Pakistan with trying to keep the pot boiling in Kashmir by keeping terror infrastructure and communication control stations intact in their country. Rajnath Singh said Security Forces (SFs) have been effectively grappling with major security challenges like terrorist and security situation in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed satisfaction over the fact that incidents of stone pelting have declined in the Valley. “Terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) remains in the form of training camps, launching pads and communication control stations. Financing from across the border (Pakistan) for militants and separatists is also a cause of concern,” Rajnath said.
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December - 22 
Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on December 22 said that the people of the country were proud of Police force in Jammu and Kashmir for their role in countering terrorism in the State and called upon Police force to be vigilance in checking ‘dark forces of radicalization’, reports Daily Excelsior.
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Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi on December 22 said that the people of the country were proud of Police force in Jammu and Kashmir for their role in countering terrorism in the State and called upon Police force to be vigilance in checking ‘dark forces of radicalization’, reports Daily Excelsior. He lauded Police force of the country for limiting terrorism to a small geographic area of the country. The Prime Minister made these remarks while addressing annual DGP/IGP (Director General of Police/ Inspector-General of Police) conference at Kevadiya in Gujarat on December 22 afternoon. Referring to Jammu and Kashmir, where Security Forces (SFs) have been eliminating terrorists frequently with this year 248 militants having already been killed in the Valley, Modi said the people of the country are, in particular, proud of Police forces in Jammu and Kashmir for their role in countering terrorists and successfully engaging them
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December - 27 
India on December 27 summoned an official of the Pakistan High Commission and lodged a strong protest over incidents of cross border terrorist infiltration and targeting of Indian civilians by Pakistani forces in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior. The Ministry of External Af
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India on December 27 summoned an official of the Pakistan High Commission and lodged a strong protest over incidents of cross border terrorist infiltration and targeting of Indian civilians by Pakistani forces in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir, reports Daily Excelsior. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Pakistani forces were involved in 1,962 incidents of unprovoked ceasefire violations in which 50 Indians have lost their lives this year [2018]. “Pakistan High Commission official was summoned today [December 27] and a strong protest was lodged at the incidents of cross-LoC [Line of Control] terrorist infiltration and targeting of Indian civilians and security forces on December, 21 and 26, 2018, leading to loss of lives on the Indian side,” the MEA said. It said India’s “grave concern” was conveyed over Pakistan’s continued support to cross border terrorist infiltration into India, including supporting cover fire provided by Pakistan forces.
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December - 28 
About a dozen masked men waved flags of the Islamic State (IS) terror group inside Jamia Masjid in the heart of Srinagar in Srinagar District on December 28 after All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressed the weekly congregation and left the premises, repo
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About a dozen masked men waved flags of the Islamic State (IS) terror group inside Jamia Masjid in the heart of Srinagar in Srinagar District on December 28 after All Parties Hurriyat Conference-Mirwaiz (APHC-M) leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq addressed the weekly congregation and left the premises, reports The Times of India. A video of the incident, which was shared on social media, shows men waving the flags and one of them tying an IS flag to the pulpit. The men are seen shouting “Dawlat-ul-Islam zindabad” or “long live the caliphate movement”. A spokesperson for the mosque termed it “a desecration of the Jamia Masjid”. He said one of the masked men stood atop the pulpit with his shoes. “His associates filmed it and shared it on social media. This indicates it was deliberate and planned,” said the spokesman. “It shows utter disregard for Islamic institutions, values and teachings. Such elements not only malign Islam but also abuse it.”
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December - 28 
Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on December 28 said that situation was better than what it was earlier in Kashmir as Jammu and Kashmir Police and Security Forces (SFs) have achieved lot of successes on operational front killing about 250 militants this year and destroying their support
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Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh on December 28 said that situation was better than what it was earlier in Kashmir as Jammu and Kashmir Police and Security Forces (SFs) have achieved lot of successes on operational front killing about 250 militants this year and destroying their support structure, reports Daily Excelsior. Dilbag said all security agencies were operating in coordination with each other, inflicting heavy losses on the militants and their over ground network in Kashmir. “Situation is better than what it was earlier in Kashmir. It has improved a lot. On operational front, we have achieved many successes. Nearly 250 militants have been killed this year and support structure of the militants has been destroyed,” the State Police chief said. He declared that situation will further improve in the coming days. Dilbag also said that collateral damage and civilian killings at the site of encounters have been minimized as it was always endeavor of Police and security agencies to ensure minimum damages at the site of encounters. In this connection, he added that the civilians were being repeatedly asked by Police and security agencies to keep away from the site of gun battles till the area is completely sanitized. “We regret the loss of civilian lives, where it was avoidable but we can’t do anything about unavoidable losses,” he said, adding that police was always trying to ensure that the militants surrender even if an encounter has begun. “We give every chance to militants to come out and surrender. Even, we try to nab a militant running after throwing a grenade instead of eliminating him”. Dilbag Singh disclosed that number of youth, who were planning to join militancy have been counseled and restored to their parents. “We want youth to be engaged in constructive work to strengthen peace in the State”.
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