HITANSHU SHARMA

Amandeep

Yubraj Hansa

NANDINI SHARMA

Srishti Kalia

“We thought we would never see each other again,” said Zulfikar Ali as he recounted the hours that followed after a fierce gun battle broke out between terrorists and security forces here early Friday.

There was heavy firing and grenade explosions, and little chance of getting out alive said the 34-year-old, who hid in the corner of his house and his family as bullets and splinters hit walls and vehicles outside.

It was amid this terrifying situation that a team of the army entered the house and, under heavy protection, started rescuing every member.

“The team took us to a safe place, and we are alive today,” said Ali, claiming that the gunbattle broke out in the densely populated Jalalabad area sometime after 4 am.

According to officials, the gunbattle, in which two terrorists — part of a suicide squad from Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed — were killed, lasted about six hours with sanitization operations still on in the area.

“A loud explosion in the compound of the house woke us up. This was followed by the loud noise of firing automatic rifles and more explosions,” said Ali.

Masarat Hussain, another resident, said, “We had woke up for Sahar (morning meals during Roza in the month of Ramzan) when firing, and blasts rattle us.” He recalled the doors and windows were closed, and the sound outside was terrifying.

After being woken up by the grenade blast, Ali said that he immediately called the local police station house officer for help and rescue.

He said they responded in time and showed his house’s compound walls riddled with bullets.

“We have never seen this happening. We do not want to see this again. I am thankful for the army from the core of my heart. They brought us out of the house,” Ali said.

The terrorists entered the Jalalabad locality after lobbing a grenade and firing at a bus carrying 15 CISF personnel around 4.25 am near the Chaddha camp area, killing an assistant sub-inspector injuring two others.

Security forces zeroed in on the house where the terrorists hid and forced them into an abandoned bathroom, officials said, adding that they were neutralized with heavy fire and grenade hits.

On Friday, widespread light to moderate rain occurred in J&K and Ladakh as the Meteorological (MeT) department forecasted mainly cloudy weather in the two union territories during the next 24 hours.

A statement issued by the MeT department said, “Today, weather is most likely to remain cloudy at most places of J&K and Ladakh with intermittent light rain/snowfall over higher reaches.

“Expect gradual improvement from this evening. Overall, there is no forecast of any major rain next week, but a brief spell of occasional light rain with thunderstorms can’t be ruled out at some places”.

Srinagar had 8.6, Pahalgam 2.0 and Gulmarg zero degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature today.

Drass in Ladakh had minus 0.6, Leh 0.4 and Kargil 0.8 as the minimum temperature.

Jammu had 18.1, Katra 17.0, Batote 8.9, Banihal 7.0 and Bhaderwah 7.3 as the minimum temperature.

Army personnel rescued 16 people trapped in snowfall at 12,000 feet in Kishtwar’s Sinthan Top by walking 15 km. At around 3 pm on Thursday, the civil administration received information that 16 civilians were stranded somewhere on NH 244 near Sinthan pass amid heavy snowfall.

Also Read: Jammu: DSP transferred, SHO Suspended for Negligence in Minor Girl Rape Case

A rescue team of army personnel left from Sinthan ground to rescue the civilians on receiving the information. The team walked about 15 km on National Highway 244 amidst incessant snowfall and zero visibility to reach the citizens around 6.15 pm.

The rescue team took all the people to the Synthan ground. Where they were provided with medicine, food and shelter, all of them were saved by the prompt action of the army men.

Two militants who were holed up in the Jalalabad area of the Sunjawan area of Jammu were killed during an encounter with a joint team of police and paramilitary forces, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said on Friday. “Both the (militants) have been killed,” the top police officer of J&K said.

Also Read: Fourth militant killed in encounter in J-K’s Baramulla

DGP also said that Two Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists planning suicide attacks were killed. This is part of a larger conspiracy to disturb peace in Jammu & sabotage the PM’s visit to the region: J&K DGP Dilbag Singh.

Another militant was killed in an encounter with security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, police said, taking the toll to four in the over 24-hour-long operation.

Top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Yousuf Kantroo, one of the longest-surviving militants in the Valley, was gunned down in operation on Thursday.

“A militant was killed on Friday morning after the exchange of firing resumed,” a police official said. He said that the total number of militants killed so far in operation, which began in the early hours of Thursday, has risen to four. He added that three militants were killed in an operation in the Malwah area of Baramulla in north Kashmir on Thursday.

In the initial exchange of fire on Thursday, four soldiers and a policeman were injured. Police said Kantroo was involved in the killings of several security personnel and civilians and was among the top 10 most-wanted militants in the Kashmir Valley.

Kantroo started as an overground worker (OGW) of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terror outfit and was arrested in 2005. He was released in 2008 and again joined the terrorist ranks in 2017 and started killing innocent civilians, police officers and political workers. Later on, he switched from HM to LeT, the police said.

Kantroo was involved in dozens of civilian atrocities and killings of security personnel. He was involved in the killings of Special Police Officer Mohammad Ishfaq Dar and his brother Umer Ahmad Dar in March, BDC chairman Sardar Bhupinder Singh in September 2020 at Khag and CRPF personnel Riyaz Ahmad Rather, a resident of Nawgam Anantnag at Kanihama, in December 2017.

He was also involved in the killings of several political workers, grenade throwing incidents, and abduction and killing of police and Army personnel.

Inspector-General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, congratulated the forces for conducting a successful anti-terrorist operation and eliminating the top most-wanted militant in the Valley.

He described Kantroo’s killing as a major success.

The official said the identity of the other three slain militants is being ascertained.

Two terrorists believed to be fidayeen security forces have killed attackers in a gunfight near an Army camp on the outskirts of Jammu on Friday morning.

A paramilitary force official was also martyred. Ten others were injured after terrorists targeted a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) bus leading to a gunfight in the Sunjwan cantonment area in Jammu city. The incident occurred amid heightened security arrangements in Jammu and Kashmir just two days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Samba district.

CISF officials said a bus carrying 15 personnel for their morning shift came under attack at 4.25 am near the Chaddha camp area. A senior official of the paramilitary force said the terrorists fired at the bus and lobbed grenades, killing Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of CISF, SP Patil and injuring two other bus occupants.

The force retaliated effectively. In the ensuing operation, two terrorists were killed, a police officer said.

J&K | Bus carrying 15 CISF personnel going for morning shift duties attacked by terrorists at about 4.25 hrs near Chaddha Camp in Jammu. CISF averted the terrorist attack, retaliated effectively, and forced the terrorists to run away: CISF officer

— ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2022

Meanwhile, local authorities have suspended classes in all private and government schools in the vicinity and adjoining areas as a precautionary measure besides suspending the mobile internet services, the officials told News Agency.

On National Panchayati Raj Day on April 24, PM Modi is scheduled to visit Pali village, 17 km from Jammu, to address a gathering. This will be PM Modi’s first visit to Jammu and Kashmir other than the borders since the abrogation of the special status of the erstwhile state and its bifurcation in August 2019. He had celebrated Diwali with Army jawans on October 27, 2019, in Rajouri and on November 3, 2021, in the Nowshera sector in the Jammu division.

Lemons are now being offered free with mobile accessories. A shopkeeper in Varanasi is offering free lemons to purchase mobile accessories.

The shopkeeper also claims to offer free petrol to consumers buying mobile accessories worth Rs 10,000.

The incentive is being offered since both lemons and petrol prices have escalated in recent weeks.

A poster put up in the shop says that 2 to 4 lemons will be given with mobile accessories, irrespective of the amount of purchase.

The shopkeeper is also offering a litre of petrol for purchases above Rs 10,000.

In the holy month of Ramzaan, a 38-year-old man named ‘Shamsudeen ‘ was murdered by his friend for money. The police have caught hold of the accused, and further investigation is underway.

Shamsudeen left his home to buy a couple of cows and buffaloes to sell their milk and earn a profit from that. As per the family claims, he didn’t come back they even tried to contact him several times, but there was no response. The family came to know about the murder the next morning when one of the community members informed them. He was immediately rushed to the hospital to shift to the ICU. Fighting with life and death for twelve long days, he eventually breathed his last.

Altaaf ( accused) and Shamsudeen were very good friends for fifteen years and were told by neighbours that no one would have imagined their friendship would result in this brutality.

When Altaaf didn’t come to see his friend in the hospital, police grew suspicious, and during the investigation, police detained him. Finally, he confessed his crime and told the police that he stoned Shamsudeen to death for money.

Shamsudeen is survived by his wife and five little children. The family hopes that justice will be delivered to them.

Aditi Tikku

With the increase in heat, the situation of the drinking water crisis has started in various areas of Jammu city. As summer is increasing, the drinking water crisis has started increasing in different areas of the city. There is a drinking water crisis in areas like Chhani Himmat, Sainik Colony, Satwari, New Plot, Upper Roopnagar, Digiana, Krishnanagar, etc. There are many areas in the city where earlier water was supplied in the morning and evening. Now only one supply is being done in these areas. Meanwhile, power cuts have also increased, affecting the water supply.

The maximum temperature of Jammu had reached 37.8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday. The condition was that it was difficult to get out in the sun during the day. In such a situation, the shortage of drinking water caused a lot of trouble for the people. According to the information, in some areas, the condition is that water is coming on the second or third day, that too for only half an hour. In such a situation, people have to be courteous with water. Since morning people are bringing water coolers installed in the parks and drinking water from the surrounding localities, people say that the government talks about providing water from the tap in every house, but the Jalshakti Department has reduced the supply of drinking water. People already have tap connections in their homes in the city, but now the department cannot meet the water demand. Complaints of water shortage have also started coming to the office of the Jal Shakti Department, but so far, no step has been taken in this direction.

Sudesh Kumar, a resident of Satwari, says that the water supply in his area has been badly affected by the increasing heat. In such a situation, the locality people have to bring water from other areas. As a result, the shortage of drinking water has increased in the last few years. A major reason for this is also the dilapidated water pipes. This wastes a lot of water. Therefore, the department should replace the old water pipe as soon as possible.

Ritesh of Sainik Colony said that people in this area had faced a drinking water crisis during the summer season for many years. This area is high, so there is a normal water supply in the lower areas, but the water does not come properly in the higher areas. People have to buy a water tanker by paying money in such a situation. Similarly, Janvi of New Plot said that the supply of water in New Plot has also been affected due to the increase in heat. The condition is that water comes into the houses only on the third or fourth day.

Amish Mahajan