Tuesday, October 13, 2026
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Suspected Pigeon Found in Khour Area of Jammu

Shivam Bakshi

Jammu, Oct 7 (NVI) A pigeon bearing a stamped mark, suspected to have come from across the international border, was found on the terrace of a house in Khour area of Jammu district on Wednesday, officials said.

The pigeon was noticed by a resident, who informed Police Post Pallanwala, following which a police team reached the spot and took the bird into custody, they said.

The pigeon was brought to the police post for examination, the officials said.

A stamped mark was found on the bird, indicating that it may have come from across the border, they said.

However, nothing suspicious was found attached to the pigeon, the officials added.—(NVI)

PoK woman repatriated through Chakkan Da Bagh crossing in J&K’s Poonch

File Photo

Shivam Bakshi

Poonch, Oct 7 (NVI) A Woman from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), who was apprehended by security forces earlier this month, was sent back to Pakistan through the Chakkan Da Bagh crossing point here on Wednesday, officials said.

The girl, identified as Samiya Azeem, daughter of Mohammad Azeem and a resident of Bains Gala in Seri area of Khuiretta tehsil in Kotli district, was apprehended by the Army on October 2, they said.

After completion of the required legal formalities, the girl was taken to the Chakkan Da Bagh crossing by the in-charge of Lam police post along with an escort vehicle and handed over for her return to Pakistan, officials said.

Further details about the circumstances leading to her apprehension were not immediately available.—(NVI)

Army Commander reviews operational readiness along LoC, hinterland in J&K’s Rajouri

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Shivam Bakshi

Jammu, Oct 6 (NVI) Army Commander of the Northern Command Lt Gen Pratik Sharma visited the Kalakot and Rajouri sectors in Jammu and Kashmir to review operational preparedness and the security situation, the Army said on Tuesday.

During the visit, Lt Gen Sharma was briefed on key operational aspects, including vigilance, training, synergy and innovative practices adopted by the troops to maintain a dominant posture and ensure robust security along the Line of Control (LoC) and in the hinterland, it said.

Interacting with the troops, the Army Commander commended them for their professionalism and devotion to duty, the Army said.

He emphasised the need for troops to remain resolute and prepared to effectively counter any misadventure by the adversary, it added.—(NVI)

Old, rusted grenade recovered, destroyed safely in J&K’s Rajouri

Shivam Bakshi

Rajouri, Oct 6 (NVI) An old and rusted grenade was recovered in the Thannamandi area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Tuesday, a senior official said.

The grenade was destroyed through a controlled explosion as a precautionary measure, the official said.

The area was secured before the disposal operation was carried out by security forces, he added.—(NVI)

Arunachal Pradesh – Changlang: Persistent Insurgent Activity

Arunachal Pradesh

Column

By Afsara Shaheen

The Changlang District of Arunachal Pradesh continues to experience insurgency-related violence, with attacks on Security Forces (SFs), militant encounters, extortion activities and recruitment efforts indicating the persistence of armed groups along the India-Myanmar border.

The activities of the Yung Aung faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K-YA), the Ang Mai faction of NSCN-K and the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) indicate that Changlang remains an important operational area for multiple insurgent formations.

The latest attack illustrates the continuing vulnerability of security personnel operating along the international border. On September 29, 2026, an Assam Rifles (AR) trooper, Havildar Jankhokai Kuki (42) was killed and another four were injured when suspected insurgents ambushed a routine patrol near Nampong under the Nampong Circle of Changlang District.

NSCN-K-YA and the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), the political wing of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), jointly claimed responsibility for the attack.

The groups reportedly opposed infrastructure development along the
India-Myanmar border.

The claim came amid a wider pattern of militant opposition to border fencing and associated construction activities, raising concerns over the security of personnel engaged in border management and infrastructure projects.

The September attack followed another deadly incident on March 26, 2026, when three AR personnel were reportedly killed in an attack by NSCN-K-YA militants along the Namgoi-Pangsau road near the India-Myanmar border.

In a subsequent statement, the outfit’s Ministry of Information and Publicity
(MIP) claimed that its Naga Army Tactical Unit had targeted a construction team of the 10th AR engaged in building a border fence.

The group described the fencing project as “illegal” and warned that construction activities would provoke resistance from Naga groups on both sides of the border.

The attack highlighted the extent to which border infrastructure has become a point of confrontation between SFs and insurgent formations operating in the region.

The district also witnessed an encounter involving a separate NSCN-K faction. On May 11, 2026, two cadres of the Ang Mai-led NSCN-K were killed during an encounter with AR personnel in the Miao area of Changlang.

The deceased were identified by the outfit as “lieutenant colonel” Umkong and “sergeant” Enu.

Security officials reported the recovery of arms and ammunition following the
operation.

The encounter demonstrated the continued presence of armed cadres beyond the immediate border belt and the challenges posed by the activities of multiple NSCN-K factions.

According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), Changlang recorded six insurgency-linked fatalities in three incidents in 2026, including four SF personnel and two terrorists.

The district recorded no insurgency-linked fatalities in either 2024 or 2025. Since 2000, Changlang has recorded 56 insurgency-linked fatalities, including 34 terrorists, 14 SF personnel and eight civilians, in 37 separate incidents.

The concentration of fatalities in 2026, following two years without recorded fatalities, indicates a renewed escalation in lethal insurgent activity.

The frequency of security operations and militant attacks further illustrates the continuing operational challenge.

On August 14, 2026, suspected NSCN-K-YA cadres opened fire on an AR camp at Tikhak Taipi village near Longvi under the Nampong Police Station. AR personnel retaliated, forcing the attackers to flee into a nearby forest. No casualties were reported, and SFs subsequently launched search operations and intensified surveillance in the surrounding area.

Earlier, on January 26, 2026, an AR camp at the Ranglom Company Operating Base of the 4th AR Battalion, near the India-Myanmar border, came under attack.

The NSCN-K-YA claimed responsibility, stating that its cadres had fired on the camp from two directions in response to alleged harassment of civilians.

AR personnel retaliated, following which counter-operations and search-and-cordon
measures were launched. No casualties among SFs or civilians were reported.
Insurgent financing and recruitment remain additional concerns.

On May 25, 2026, reports indicated that NSCN-K-YA had revived its extortion network in Changlang, issuing notices demanding annual payments from owners of commercial vehicles and heavy machinery.

The reported demands included INR 50,000 annually from Poclain excavator owners and INR 25,000 from truck owners.

Other categories allegedly targeted included JCB operators, dumpers, taxis and auto-rickshaws.

The reported demands affected the wider Tirap-Changlang-Longding (TCL) region.

According to the reports, the response from local businessmen remained limited amid intensified counter-insurgency operations. If sustained, such extortion activities could impose an additional burden on local businesses and provide insurgent groups with a source of financial support.

Arrests in 2026 have also exposed alleged efforts to maintain organisational networks and recruit local youths.

On September 29, 2026, AR personnel, in coordination with Changlang and Tinsukia
Police, arrested two suspected ULFA-I cadres, Sahdev Rai alias Bappi Akhom and Siraju Alam alias Shiraj Asom, following intelligence inputs about a possible ambush and improvised explosive device (IED) attack along the Miao-Vijaynagar Road.

An AK-series rifle, an IED, three magazines and 90 rounds of live ammunition were recovered.

During questioning, the arrested individuals reportedly disclosed their association with a larger group of approximately 20 armed cadres.

On April 28, 2026, AR personnel arrested an National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khango (NSCN-Khango) cadre, Kamnong Pangtha, and a suspected overground worker (OGW), Gopang Negimu, during an intelligence-based operation in the Rima-Putok Circle.

Preliminary investigations reportedly indicated that the two were involved in extortion and recruitment of local youths into insurgent ranks.

Officials disclosed that their activities were concentrated in Changlang and Jairampur.

Further inquiry suggested that the OGW had also attempted to facilitate the defection of cadres from NSCN-Khango to the Ang Mai faction.

Surrenders provide another indication of pressure on insurgent formations. Seven militants surrendered in four separate incidents in Changlang in 2026, compared with two in one incident in 2025 and three in two incidents in 2024.

Since 2000, 33 militants have surrendered in 25 separate incidents in Changlang. Recent incidents include:

On September 18, 2026, a suspected ULFA-I cadre, Dilip Axom alias Kamal Sarania (23), surrendered before the AR at Pangsau.

Earlier, on May 5, 2026, two ULFA-I cadres, Lekang Axom alias Ashok Sonowal and Nipen Axom alias Biplav Buragohain, surrendered at Pangsau Pass after reportedly deserting the outfit’s General Headquarters at Ranu in Myanmar.

On June 23, 2026, three cadres belonging to the NSCN-Reformation (NSCN-R) and NSCN-Isak-Muivah (NSCN-IM) also surrendered before the Changlang District Police.

The surrender figures form part of a wider rehabilitation process in the TCL region.

According to information provided by the State Home Department to the Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly on March 9, 2026, 165 underground operatives belonging to various militant factions surrendered in Tirap, Changlang and Longding Districts over the preceding five years. Of these, 41 surrendered in Changlang.

A rehabilitation camp at Bhismaknagar, operational since January 9, 2025, houses most surrendered operatives, who receive vocational training at the Industrial Training Institute in Roing.

The continued implementation of rehabilitation measures is important for helping former insurgents reintegrate into civilian life and reducing the possibility of their return to armed activity.

Changlang’s security significance is closely linked to its location along the India-Myanmar border.

The district’s border areas, including the Nampong-Pangsau belt, have featured repeatedly in militant attacks and operations.

The reported movement of cadres from camps in Myanmar, the targeting of
personnel engaged in border fencing and the recovery of weapons and explosives, indicate the importance of cross-border operational networks.

At the same time, the involvement of multiple insurgent factions complicates the security environment, as operations must address both armed attacks and the networks supporting extortion, recruitment and movement.

Significantly, in view of the prevailing security situation, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (UMHA) extended the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA), 1958, in Tirap, Changlang and Longding Districts of Arunachal Pradesh, along with Namsai, Mahadevpur and Chowkham Police stations in Namsai District, for another six months, effective October 1, 2026.

The extension underscores continuing security concerns in the State's insurgency-affected areas, particularly along the India-Myanmar border.

The principal challenge in Changlang is therefore not simply the occurrence of individual attacks but the persistence of an operational environment in which insurgent factions can target security personnel, seek financial support through extortion and attempt to recruit local youths.

The fatal attacks in March and September, together with the August assaults on AR positions, demonstrate that the threat remains active despite arrests, encounters and surrenders.

Sustained intelligence-based operations, protection of vulnerable patrol routes and border infrastructure, and action against extortion and recruitment networks remain essential. Rehabilitation and livelihood opportunities for surrendered cadres are equally important in limiting the replenishment of insurgent ranks.

Unless these measures reduce both the operational capacity of armed groups and their ability to sustain local networks, Changlang is likely to remain a significant centre of insurgency-related insecurity along the India-Myanmar border.

(Afsara Shaheen is a Research Associate with the Institute for Conflict Management)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: Increasing Fragility

Bodies of Pakistani security men killed in attack in Kohat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (file pic)

Column 

By Tushar Ranjan Mohanty

On October 4, 2026, at least 15 terrorists, including ‘commander’ Mazdigari Marwat of Waziri group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) [also known as Fitna al Khawarij, FaK, the State term for the group and its associated entities] were killed when Security Forces (SFs) neutralised an infiltration attempt along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Ghulam Khan sector of North Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).

On October 4, 2026, SFs killed eight TTP terrorists, including three key terrorists ‘commanders’, during an intelligence-based operation (IBO) in Dera Ismail Khan District.

On October 3, 2026, SFs killed five terrorists during an IBO targeting terrorist hideouts in the Bajaur District.

On October 3, 2026, SFs killed five TTP terrorists during an IBO targeting hideouts in South Waziristan District.

On October 2, 2026, SFs killed seven TTP terrorists during an IBO in the Eidak area of North Waziristan District.

On September 29, 2026, SFs killed eight TTP terrorists during an IBO in the Tirah area of Khyber District.

On September 29, 2026, SFs killed five TTP terrorists during an IBO in the Bara tehsil (revenue unit) of Khyber District.

On September 27, 2026, at least 15 TTP terrorists were killed by SFs during an IBO in Kurram District.

While SFs continued efforts to hunt down terrorists across the province, terrorist groups, in turn, struck at the security establishment with alarming frequency, demonstrating their resilience and ability to penetrate the defensive grid, despite sustained counter-terrorism operations.

On September 26, 2026, at least 12 persons were killed and 35 were injured when a suicide bomber rammed an explosives-laden tractor trolley into the Aman Mela Police Check Post in the Darazinda tehsil of Dera Ismail Khan District.

Further, two rescue workers were killed and one person sustained injuries when unidentified terrorists opened fire on a Rescue 1122 ambulance transporting bodies from the blast site.

On September 18, 2026, at least 22 persons, including 15 Policemen, were killed while more than 100 sustained injuries when an explosives-laden vehicle detonated near a mosque at the Police Lines in Kohat town (Kohat District), followed by terrorists storming the compound and attacking Police facilities.

In the follow-up clearance operation, SFs killed seven terrorists.

The Ittihadul Mujahideen Pakistan (IMP), an alliance led by the Hafiz Gul Bahadar Group (a TTP ally), claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to partial data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal (SATP), KP recorded a total of 1,702 terrorism-related fatalities, including 1,132 terrorists, 319 SF personnel and 251 civilians, during first nine months of the current year (data till September 30, 2026).

During the corresponding period of 2025, the province recorded 1,570 such fatalities, including 1,055 terrorists, 327 SF personnel and 188 civilians.

Meanwhile, a comparison of terrorism-related fatalities in first nine months of each preceding year in the province show that the fatalities recorded in 2026 were highest since 2009, at 1,702 in 2026, 1,570 in 2025, 851 in 2024, 648 in 2023, 388 in 2022, 235 in 2021, 164 in 2020, 104 in 2019, 103 in 2018, 104 in 2017, 197 in 2016, 245 in 2015, 384 in 2014, 827 in 2013, 497 in 2012, 1,038 in 2011, 908 in 2010 and 5,031 in 2009.

In 2008, there were 910 fatalities in just the first six months. The figure for nine months in 2008 mounted to 2,118.

On year-on-year basis, 2025 recorded 2,359 such fatalities, the highest after 2009.

There were 1,363 fatalities in 2024, 941 in 2023, 527 in 2022, 301 in 2021, 216 in 2020, 130 in 2019, 167 in 2018, 129 in 2017, 215 in 2016, 298 in 2015, 607 in 2014, 946 in 2013, 644 in 2012, 1,188 in 2011, 1169 in 2010 and 5,883 in 2009.

According to a new policy review based on annual data from the Islamabad based think tank Pak Institute for Peace Studies (PIPS) released on October 2, 2026, terrorist attacks in KP nearly quadrupled between 2021 and 2025.

Terrorist attacks recorded in the province increased from 111 in 2021 to 413 in 2025, a rise of 272.1 percent.

The 2025 figure was 3.72 times the number recorded in 2021, with the number of attacks increasing each year in the five-year series.

The annual data show 111 attacks in 2021, 169 in 2022, 174 in 2023, 295 in 2024 and 413 in 2025. KP also accounted for more than half of the terrorist attacks recorded across Pakistan in each year of the series.

Its share stood at 53.6 percent in 2021, rising to 64.5 percent in 2022 before settling at 56.9 percent in 2023, 56.6 percent in 2024 and 59.1 percent in 2025. The burden was particularly concentrated in the southern districts of the province.

According to the review, PIPS recorded 248 attacks in the six southern districts in 2025 – North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Bannu, Tank, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan.

Together, these Districts accounted for about 60 percent of all terrorist attacks recorded in the province in 2025, although terrorist activity was recorded in 27 of the 36 in the province.

The surge in terrorism-related violence in KP can be attributed to two principal factors: the United States (US)-Western withdrawal from neighbouring Afghanistan and the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on August 14, 2021; and the collapse of the Taliban-mediated ‘official talks’ between the Pakistan Government and TTP on November 28, 2022.

When the US pulled its forces out from Afghanistan in 2021, it left behind around USD 7 billion worth of military equipment and weapons, including firearms, communications gear, and even armoured vehicles.

The Afghan Taliban seized these weapons during the chaotic US withdrawal.

On January 29, 2025, the Pakistan Foreign Office asserted that these advanced weapons have been an issue of profound concern for the safety and security of Pakistan and its citizens.

The Foreign Office spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan issued a statement declaring, “These weapons, left behind in the aftermath of the withdrawal of its troops in August 2021, have been used by terrorist organisations, including the TTP, to carry out terrorist attacks in Pakistan.”

Since the resurgence of terrorism in 2021, KP has recorded a sustained increase in attacks targeting the Police and SFs.

According to data compiled by the Central Police Office (CPO), 2025 was the deadliest complete year in the history of the KP Police, with 235 Police personnel killed in the line of duty.

While 63 Policemen were killed in 2021, the number rose to 93 in 2022, before spiking to 197 in 2023.

In 2024, the Police lost 169 personnel, followed by a record 235 killed in 2025. With 156 Policemen already killed during the first seven months of 2026, the current year is on course to become one of the deadliest on record for the KP Police.

Following the collapse of ‘official talks’ between the Government and TTP on November 28, 2022, terrorism-related violence in KP surged.

While terrorist incidents occur sporadically across different parts of the province, the Southern Districts of Bannu, North Waziristan, South Waziristan, Lakki Marwat, Tank, and Dera Ismail Khan saw repeated attacks on SF personnel, Police Stations, check posts, tribal elders and civilians.

These areas are geographically positioned at the intersection of settled Districts and the tribal belt – the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) – along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, which gives the terrorists an upper hand as they maintain mobility across the border.

On May 14, 2026, Sohail Afridi, the Chief Minister of KP, declared that 80 per cent of militants and terrorists operating in the province were foreigners, whereas, before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, most militants were local.

While police forces have been on the first line of defence against terrorist attacks, a May 13, 2026, report indicated that KP Police had identified more than 100 vulnerable and dilapidated check posts across the southern districts and former tribal areas, and urged the Provincial Government to prioritize their reconstruction and fortification.

According to official details, the identified check posts are located in sensitive districts, including Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Peshawar, and parts of the Kohat Division.

These posts have been deemed highly vulnerable due to weak boundary walls, damaged roofs and overall poor infrastructure, posing serious security risks to deployed personnel. The situation in the tribal districts remains particularly alarming.

Despite the merger of approximately 30,000 personnel into the Provincial Police Force, infrastructure development has lagged significantly. In districts such as Mohmand, Bajaur, Khyber, Kurram, Orakzai, and Waziristan, several Police Stations have yet to be established, years after the merger of FATA.

The security situation in the southern districts was so alarming that the KP Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) revealed, on December 31, 2024, that the police had nearly abandoned the practice of patrolling outside police stations after sunset in these districts.

Confining Police personnel to police stations is, however, unlikely to prove an adequate response to the evolving security threats in the province.

The growing use of sophisticated quadcopter drones by terrorist groups has added a new dimension to the threat, enabling militants to target police personnel and installations with greater precision.

Since the beginning of 2025, the use of quadcopter drones by terrorist groups has increased, particularly across KP’s southern districts, underscoring the need for enhanced counter-drone capabilities and greater operational preparedness in the police.

Recognising the emerging threat, KP Police established the country’s first Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Division on March 6, 2025. On July 7, 2026, during a law-and-order review meeting at the Central Police Office chaired by Provincial Police Chief Zulfiqar Hameed, officials disclosed that the KP Police had thwarted 341 terrorist drone attacks during the first six months of 2026 through the use of modern counter-drone technologies.

However, on July 8, 2026, a leaked audio message purportedly featuring former KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Khan Gandapur surfaced on social media, in which he criticised the provincial government’s handling of the deteriorating security situation, particularly the increasing use of drone strikes.

He asserted that drone attacks were on the rise across KP and contended that the provincial administration had failed to address the issue effectively.

While terrorism in KP has been growing, the rift between the PML-N-led Federal Government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led Provincial Government has complicated the fight against terrorism.

The rift deepens as Federal leaders and the provincial government trade sharp accusations over rising terrorism and governance failures.

On September 28, 2026, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar declared that the PTI Government in KP had failed to secure the province.

Addressing a press conference along with Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, Tarar stated that the KP Government should explain how it spent the funds received each year to fight terrorism: “Despite governing the province for around 12 and a half year, the PTI-led government has failed to take adequate ownership of counterterrorism efforts and strengthen the security apparatus.”

Tarar added that the PTI leadership in KP was the ‘B team’ of TTP, and that the provincial government facilitated the terrorists for its political and financial interests.

Further, a white paper issued on September 28, 2026, by the Prime Minister's Coordinator Ikhtiar Wali Khan and Member National Assembly (MNA) Samar Haroon raised concerns over the worsening security situation in KP.

The white paper noted that KP recorded 680 terrorist attacks between January and September 2026, compared with 508 during the same period in 2025, representing a 33.9 percent increase.

According to the document, 122 Police personnel were killed in KP during the
first half of 2026, compared with 63 in the same period last year, a 93.7 per cent increase, and that persons injured rose from 84 to 175, an increase of 108.3 per cent, while there were 680 terrorist attacks from January to September 2026.

The white paper highlighted shortages of weapons, protective vehicles and specialized personnel in the CTD, the department responsible for investigating terrorist networks and supporting counterterrorism operations.

According to figures cited in the document, KP had 17 bulletproof vehicles for its CTD, compared to 76 in Punjab and 42 in Balochistan.

The document also claimed that, as of December 2025, CTD had only nine M4 rifles, against a requirement of 200, leaving it with just 4.5 per cent of the number deemed to be required.

Similarly, CTD had 11 night-vision devices against a requirement of 35, meeting approximately 31.4 percent of its stated requirement.

The white paper also cited a December 2025 report showing that 3,113 personnel were serving, as against 3,844 sanctioned CTD positions, leaving approximately 19 percent of the posts vacant.

By June 2026, recruitment against 638 vacant field-operator positions had yet to be completed.

Meanwhile, the KP Government categorically rejected the allegations levelled against it in the by Federal Ministers’ white paper.

Provincial Information Minister Shafi Jan declared that the province was itself a victim of terrorism, with its people sacrificing lives, yet it continued to face taunts and accusations.

Addressing a press conference along with Special Assistant for Home Tariq Saeed, Shafi Jan added that the Federal Government was engaged in a misadventure and that the real issue is not terrorism but Chief Minister Sohail Afridi.

While the blame game between the Federal and Provincial Governments over counter-terrorism responsibilities continues, terrorists have exploited the resulting political and institutional friction to intensify violence, further destabilising KP’s already fragile security environment.

(Tushar Ranjan Mohanty is a Research Associate with the Institute for Conflict Management)

Authorities demolish illegal structure linked to Afzal Guru’s relatives in J&K’s Baramulla

Baramulla, Oct 06 (NVI): Authorities on Tuesday demolished an illegally constructed shed allegedly built by relatives of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru on state land in  Jammu and Kashmir Baramulla district.

The demolition was carried out by a team of the Revenue Department during an anti-encroachment drive in the Sopore area, they said.

They said the shed had been constructed on a flood basin over state land in violation of government regulations.

They further said that family members of Afzal Guru had allegedly constructed and occupied the structure.

Guru, who was convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack case, was executed in February 2013.—(NVI)

J&K Udhampur fireman held by CBI for accepting Rs 15,000 bribe

J-K Police
Representational image

Shivam Bakshi

Jammu, Oct 6 (NVI): The CBI has arrested a fireman posted under the Assistant Director, Fire and Emergency Services, Udhampur, for allegedly demanding and accepting a Rs 15,000 bribe for processing and issuing a fire safety NOC for a hotel in Katra, officials said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a case on Tuesday following a complaint alleging that the accused had demanded Rs 40,000 from the complainant for processing and issuance of the NOC, it said in a statement.

After negotiations, the accused agreed to accept Rs 15,000, the agency said.

The CBI subsequently laid a trap and caught the accused red-handed while allegedly demanding and accepting the bribe from the complainant, it said.

Further investigation in the case is underway, the agency said.—(NVI)

11 Indian seafarers injured in attack on their vessel in Strait of Hormuz

representative pic

New Delhi, Oct 6 (NVI) Once again, a commercial ship with Indians on board was attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in injuries to 11 of them and evoking a sharp condemnation by the government here.

There were 17 Indians, among the total 19 crew members, on board the Panama-flagged commercial vessel MT On Peace which was struck by a projectile today near the coast of Oman while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

“It is learnt that 12 crew members have been injured, including 11 Indian nationals,” MEA said in a statement.

With the assistance of Omani authorities, the injured crew have since been evacuated and are receiving medical treatment in Khasab, Oman, it added.

Condemning the attack, the MEA said, “The continuing incidents of attacks on shipping in the region remain a cause of deep concern for India. We reiterate our call for an immediate cessation of such attacks in the interests of peace and stability in the region.”

It added that “The targeting of commercial shipping, seafarers and civilian infrastructure in the region must end, and navigation and commerce through international waterways must be restored at the earliest.”

Commercial vessels with Indian crew have repeatedly come under attack in the Strait of Hormuz since the war began in West Asia on February 28.

Several Indians have lost their lives and a number of others have been injured in such actions. (NVI)

MoD Signs Rs 661.5-Crore Contract for BrahMos Fire Control Systems, Launchers

New Delhi, Oct 6 (NVI): The Ministry of Defence on Tuesday signed a Rs 661.50-crore contract with BrahMos Aerospace Private Limited (BAPL) for procurement of BrahMos fire control systems and launchers for Indian Navy ships.

The contract was signed under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, the ministry said.

The project has a minimum indigenous content of 68 per cent and is aimed at boosting domestic defence manufacturing, with active participation of various Indian industries, including MSMEs.

The project is expected to generate employment over a period of three years and strengthen India’s maritime security architecture and defence capabilities, the ministry said.

The BrahMos system fitted onboard various frontline warships is the Indian Navy’s primary surface-to-surface missile system for maritime strike operations.

The weapon system is capable of engaging land and sea targets at extended ranges with high precision and at supersonic speeds, it said.

The contract marks another step towards indigenisation of advanced military technology and enhancing India’s self-reliance in defence production.—(NVI)

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