Bashaarat Masood

According to official figures, nearly 150 militants, most of them local youth, are active in the four districts of south Kashmir. They say that only this year, at least 80 local youths have joined militant ranks in south Kashmir.

Akhtar said his party did not want to create an impression that Kashmiris are only “fair weather” friends. He said the PDP also didn’t want to let down people of the state.

As Governor N N Vohra held meetings with security agencies, Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said ongoing military operations in the Valley against terrorists would continue as earlier.

The state was placed under Governor’s rule for the fourth time in the last decade Wednesday after President Ram Nath Kovind approved the imposition of Governor’s rule.

Mehbooba Mufti said: “We are in good spirits. We have no regrets”. She said her party did not want to attempt another government formation. “I have sent my resignation to the Governor Sahib (N N Vohra), saying we don’t want to explore any other alliance,’’ she said.

The slain militants have been identified as Adil Ahmad, a resident of Midoora Tral, Danish Ahmad of Pinglish Tral and a foreigner. Adil had joined militant ranks only two days ago while Danish was a 23-day-old militant.

On the political front, the coalition partners failed to implement the promises made in the AoA — from normalising relations with Pakistan, to holding talks with separatists, or repealing special powers of the security forces.

Announcing the decision in Delhi, BJP general secretary Ram Madhav said it has become “untenable for the BJP to continue in this government”. 

A senior PDP leader said that as soon as she got the news, Mehbooba called some senior party leaders to her office. “There was a brief discussion after which the Chief Minister left for her residence,” he said.

On Monday morning, the Army established contact with militants in the Panar forests of Bandipore, triggering a gunfight.

This is the fourth civilian killing in as many days in the Valley, and the first since the Centre decided not to extend the Ramzan ceasefire.

The separatists, who had termed the Centre’s decision on May 17 to suspend operations as a “cruel joke”, are likely to respond after three of their top leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, meet to discuss the issue.

The report indicates that a militant recruitment network is active in the Valley to facilitate the visit of potential militants to Pakistan for arms training.

Dr Saleem Tak, Medical Superintendent (MS), SMHS Hospital, Srinagar, said, “We received 12 injured from different parts of the Valley today. All of them have been hit by pellets. Seven of them have been hit in their eyes.”

According to police, three-four gunmen were involved and fired at Bukhari’s car from two sides. Police released three photographs of the suspected assailants. These were acquired from CCTV cameras installed at several places in the city.

First civilian death in firing by forces since suspension of ops; fired in air, says Army; fired after stone-pelting, say police

Bukhari was active in literary circles and was the president of ‘Adbee Markaz Kamraz’, the Valley’s oldest and biggest cultural and literary body, for two years.

Police sources said a soldier of the Rashtriya Rifles, identified as Aurangzeb, was abducted soon after he left his camp to head home to Poonch. The Valley has seen a spike in infiltration attempts by militants in the last one month.

Shujaat Bukhari and personal security officer was also killed in the attack while another security guard was critically injured. The killings, on the eve of Eid, left Srinagar stunned and there was all-round condemnation.