Several hotels in Kashmir’s iconic Pahalgam were inundated due to flash floods triggered by two cloudbursts in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Saturday night that also damaged homes, roads and farmland, disrupted essential services and prompted the evacuation of tourists and pilgrims, officials said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday called for a fundamental shift in Jammu and Kashmir tourism policy, advocating a transition from volume-driven tourism to a sustainable, value-based model that protects the region's fragile ecology while ensuring long-term economic growth.
A top commander of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Zakir Ganai, was killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Shopian district on Wednesday, marking a major breakthrough in an intelligence-based operation.
Taking cognizance of alleged irregularities in on-spot registration of Amarnath pilgrims, the authorities in Kashmir's Ganderbal district suspended four teachers, officials said on Wednesday.
Kashmir’s chief cleric Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday called for keeping the Amarnath Yatra free from politics, saying Kashmir has a long tradition of hospitality towards pilgrims while urging the administration to ensure both pilgrims' safety and minimal disruption to local life.
Over 18,000 pilgrims performed the ongoing Amarnath Yatra on its fifth day on Wednesday while another batch of 6,554 pilgrims left Jammu for the Valley on Thursday.
Additional Director General of Police, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar on Wednesday visited Panjtarni and the Amarnath shrine and inspected the security measures implemented for a safe and smooth pilgrimage, officials said.
Although sacrificial animal markets and bakery outlets were thronged by buyers on Wednesday, Eid eve shopping remained a low key affair in Kashmir this year.
An Al-Badr terrorist was killed in an encounter between terrorists and security forces at Hoowra village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Tuesday.
One terrorist was neutralised in an encounter with security forces in Kulgam district, police said here on Tuesday morning.
