Maintaining relentless pressure on the terror outfits operating in the Jammu region through a string of surgical operations, the security forces through precision have neutralised 52 terrorists so far since January 2010.

Major General J.S. Jamwal (Retd), the father of Rear Admiral S.S. Jamwal who died on Wednesday in a freak accidental firing at INS Dhronacharya in Kochi on the Kerala coast, is a shattered soul.

Indicating towards flare up in the situation in Jammu region also, the district administration, in a midnight swoop on July 1, sealed the offices and printing units of three local English dailies in Jammu city under provisions of J&K State Press & Publication Act 1989.

Amid apprehensions of violence, the first day of Amarnath Yatra on Wednesday was not a smooth go as it started amid hiccups from its first base camp at Yatri Niwas in the winter capital of state at the crack of dawn this morning.

Ahead of Indo-Pak foreign secretary-level talks beginning this Thursday and just a day after killing two civilian porters employed by the Army in Machil sector in Kashmir, Pakistan troops on Monday breached truce yet again on the second consecutive day. This time they targeted Indian forward Abdullian post and Casper vehicle of BSF in R.S. Pura sector in Jammu district.

Politicking over the brutal murder of 10-year-old Shalin Gupta by his kidnappers last week touched a new low, with the PDP and NC indulging in direct blame game and accusing each other of shedding crocodile tears over the spine-chilling incident.

49 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will be deployed in J&K for smooth conduct of the Amarnath Yatra, commencing from July 1. Of these, 11 companies would be deployed in Jammu at the vulnerable spots while 38 companies would assist other security agencies as a part of the three-tier security grid to be put in place for Amarnath Yatra. Two all women companies too would be part of this security grid.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) president Sonia Gandhi finally kept her date with the Gujjars by inaugurating “Gujjar Centre for Culture and Heritage” here on Saturday and also used the opportunity to revive age old links of party with the nomadic community with the promise that Centre would “do everything for its development.”

A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan was on Tuesday critically injured in hostile firing from Pakistan side of the international border (IB) in Hiranagar sector of Kathua district in Jammu region. While the police claimed it as a “foiled infiltration attempt”, the BSF did not make any such claim.

The recovery of two “spy pigeons” in the past 24 hours in Katra town of Reasi district and Khour area of Akhnoor sector, in Jammu district, has set off alarm bells within the security establishment vis-à-vis new tactics being adopted by militants and their mentors across the border to facilitate terror activities in the state.