Monthly Archives: August 2018

Army men take position near the encounter site in Kupwara on Tuesday. Tribune Photo: Amin War

Our Correspondent

Kupwara, March 20

Four unidentified militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Kupwara district on Tuesday, a defence spokesman said.“Four militants have been killed in the Arampora operation in Kupwara district. The operation is in progress,” the defence spokesman said.The encounter broke out in the Arampora area of Kupwara as security forces launched an operation after militants opened fire on an Army patrol, an Army officer said. He said the soldiers reacted swiftly and launched an operation to track down the militants.“Around 3.30 pm, a gun battle broke out between the militants and security forces,” he said.Senior Superintendent of Police, Kupwara, Shamsher Hussain Kupwara said: “The ongoing operation may continue throughout the night and may even extend till tomorrow as the militants are responding to the firing cautiously and intermittently which is an indication that the operation may last longer.”The operation was launched by men of the Army’s 41 Rashtriya Rifles, CRPF’s 98 Batallion and Special Operations Group of the J&K Police following inputs about the presence of six militants in the forest area.(With inputs from PTI)

Fresh snowfall at Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti on Thursday Photo Jai Kumar

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, March 15

The inclement weather hampered the snow-clearing operation on the Manali-Leh highway by the Border Roads Organisation today. The Rohtang Pass has been closed since December for the traffic movement because of heavy snowfall.The weather had been cloudy since morning and later it started raining and snowing in the area, which forced the BRO to pull back its workforce because the area is prone to snow avalanches.The BRO had started snow-clearing operation on March 13. It had engaged five teams comprising 22 persons in a team from the Koksar and Gulaba side to execute the task.Talking to The Tribune, BRO Commander Colonel AK Awasthi said “Since morning, the weather had been inclement and it started snowing heavily, forcing us to pull back our workforce in view of safety.”He said, “The area is prone to avalanches and during rain, the probability of avalanche is higher. We have moved a few kilometres ahead of the Beas Nullah toward Rohtang, where snow is up to 20 feet high.”“The opening of Rohtang will depend on the weather conditions because last year, also we had the same experience which delayed the snow-clearing operation. The BRO is focusing on connecting Rohtang with Lahaul as soon as possible for the benefit of the people of the tribal district,” he said.Meanwhile, Lahaul-Spiti also received a mild snowfall, which plummeted the temperature drastically. The traffic was hampered in the district because of the fresh snowfall.

Joining Hands: French President Emmanuel Macron (centre), his wife Brigitte Macron, President Ram Nath Kovind, his wife Savita Kovind (left) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold hands during Macron’s ceremonial reception in New Delhi on Saturday. Tribune Photo: Mukesh Aggarwal

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 10

Two decades since India, then facing heat from western nations in the aftermath of nuclear tests, signed its first strategic partnership with France in 1998, the partners today stepped up cooperation in the Indian Ocean significantly. French President Emmanuel Macron and PM Narendra Modi at delegation-level talks agreed on a reciprocal logistics agreement between their armed forces as well as a joint strategic vision document on the Indian Ocean region. This is along the lines of a vision document announced with the US on the Indo-Pacific in 2015. The agreement with France will facilitate authorised port visits by naval vessels and reciprocal logistics support during joint exercises, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)“I consider today’s agreement on reciprocal logistics support between our armies as a golden step in the history of our close defence cooperation. Second, both of us believe that in future the Indian Ocean region will play a very important role in the happiness, progress and prosperity of the world,” said Modi. With China expanding military bases in the Indo-Pacific from Hambantota to Djibouti, the two countries shared their concern on “respect of international laws by all states, in particular freedom of navigation and overflight.”India has a coastline of 7,500 km, more than 1,380 islands and 2 million sq km of exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the region. France has a military base in Reunion Island and 1.6 million of its citizens reside in the territory owned in the Indo-Pacific, including a 9.1 million sq km of EEZ. Indian and French space agencies will now provide end-to-end solution for detection, identification and monitoring of vessels in the region. “We do not want militarisation of the region but our partnership will add to the stability of the region,” remarked Macron. Overall, 14 agreements were exchanged between the two sides, including on exchange and reciprocal protection of classified or protected information and finding a way forward to expedite the stalled Jaitapur nuclear power plant to be built by the French state-controlled EDF. Once installed, it will be the largest nuclear power plant in the world with a total capacity of 10,000 MW. Transfer of technology, guaranteed fuel supply for the plant and liability issues have been sticking points in negotiations that began in 2009.On counter-terrorism, the joint statement names groups including Al-Qaida, ISIS, Jaish-e-Mohammed, Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Toiba with an agreement to strengthen counter-terrorism efforts at multilateral fora such as the UN, Financial Action Task Force) and G20.14 agreements signed; Jaitapur N-plant, counter-terrorism on list

• In all, 14 pacts were signed between the two sides, including one on finding a way forward to expedite the stalled Jaitapur nuclear power plant contract
• To be built by the French State-controlled EDF, it will be the largest nuclear power plant in the world with a capacity of 10,000 MW
• Pact on strengthening counter-terrorism efforts at multilateral fora, such as the UN, Financial Action Task Force and G20

Jammu/Rajouri, March 28

Four terrorists, believed to be members of a suicide squad, were on Wednesday killed in a day-long encounter with the security forces in Sunderbani area of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district. They had infiltrated into the Indian territory from across the Line of Control (LoC) four-five days ago, prompting the forces to launch a search operation.The militants were trapped inside a forest near Sutra village on Sunderbani outskirts after locals informed the police and the security forces about their presence in the area. “The search operation was on for a few days. But it was on Wednesday morning that the forces came in contact with the militants near Sunderbani. During the operation, four militants were gunned down,” Shesh Paul Vaid, the state DGP, told The Tribune. The operation was conducted jointly by the police, the Army, the BSF and the CRPF.  Sources said the militants, who infiltrated from Keri-Battal area, covered a distance of 10 km and hid themselves in a forest near Kalideh village. A search was conducted on March 24 in Peli, Phalli, Kuldabi and adjoining villages, but with no success.“On Sunday evening, the terrorists purchased food items from the market. An alert was sounded and a search conducted. The next day at about 9 pm, two terrorists entered a house in Lower Bhajwal village (near Jogi Nullah), collected food and vanished. Again a search was launched.”At about 10 am on Wednesday, the terrorists purchased food from a shop in the vicinity of Jogi Nullah and were traced by the security forces,” the sources said.“The contact with militants was established at 10 am after which the security forces zeroed-in on them. All of them have been killed, but the sanitisation operation will continue,” Col NN Joshi said, adding the identity of the militants was yet to be ascertained. As a precautionary measure, the district administration in Rajouri had ordered the closure of educational institutions in Sunderbani area.