The killing of two village defence committee (VDC) members by terrorists in the forest areas of J&K's Kishtwar district has sparked outrage, with political leaders such as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and former Deputy Chief Minister Kavinder Gupta condemning the act. The VDC members, who were initially given .303 rifles, have now been equipped with automatic weapons to better defend against the terrorists. However, this has made them targets for the terrorists, with incidents like this highlighting the ongoing security concerns in the region.
In a tragic incident, two village defence guards were kidnapped and shot dead by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. This attack comes in the wake of a grenade explosion at a Sunday market in Srinagar that left 12 people injured. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has appealed to security forces to take swift action and put an end to the recent spate of attacks in the Union Territory.
A teacher in Jammu and Kashmir has been suspended for allegedly using corporal punishment on a student, after a video of the incident went viral on social media. The school has launched a committee to investigate the matter and the chief education officer has suspended the accused teacher. As journalists continue to work hard to bring quality journalism to the region, advertising revenues are falling and reader support is needed more than ever.
Four earthquakes, including one measuring 5.5 magnitude on the Richter Scale, struck the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Monday. The tremors were felt in Ladakh's Kargil and Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar. Fortunately, there are no reports of any damage so far. The National Center for Seismology (NCS) is monitoring the situation and more details are awaited.
The Jammu & Kashmir Waqf Board, during its 8th meeting, has announced the appointment of Executive Officers for the Waqf Units in District Kishtwar, Rajouri, and Poonch.