The Army on Tuesday said it foiled an infiltration attempt along the Line of Control in the Rajouri district of the Jammu region, killing one militant while a search operation is underway to track down another.

According to officials, the incident occurred in the Nowshera sector after security forces received inputs about the movement of suspected terrorists in the area.

In a post on X, the Army’s White Knight Corps said that acting on credible intelligence inputs from security agencies, the movement of two militants was detected in the general area of Jhangar in Nowshera around 3 pm.

Alert troops responded with what the Army described as “swift and calibrated combat action,” engaging the infiltrators and foiling the attempt to cross the LoC.

“In the ensuing engagement, a Pakistan-sponsored terrorist was eliminated, effectively denying any breach of the LoC,” the Army said.

Officials said a search operation has been launched in the area to locate the second militant who is believed to have escaped during the encounter.

“Troops have been reoriented to track the second terrorist and ensure domination of the area, supported by integrated ground and aerial surveillance,” the Army added.

Security forces have maintained a robust operational posture and heightened alert across the sector following the incident.

Forest fire triggers landmine blasts along LoC

Some landmines exploded on Tuesday due to a forest fire along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, triggering panic among border residents, officials said. No casualties were reported in the blasts and efforts are on to douse the flames, they said. The fire broke out in forward area in Balakote sector, Dadote, around 9.55 am, causing some landmines to explode due to heat. The fire had not been put out till last reports, they said.

Forward areas are dotted with landmines as part of an anti-infiltration system.

Drone sighted near IB in Samba

Security forces detected suspected Pakistani drone movement late Monday night in the Daboh area along the International Border in Samba district

Following the alert, forces deployed additional personnel and initiated surveillance to check any possible air-dropping of weapons or narcotics

A coordinated search operation involving the Army, J&K Police and BSF was launched in the suspected area

Security teams also conducted searches in Bhai Nallah, Lala Chack and Malani in the Rajpura belt of Samba following reports of suspicious movement

Lt Karnaveer Singh Thakur with his family at OTA, Chennai.

Karnaveer Singh Thakur, a resident of Khandgadh village in Nichli Bhated gram panchayat of Bilasur district, has joined the Indian Army as a Lieutenant. He was commissioned as Lieutenant in the Army on March 7 after completing his training at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. He will serve Assam Regiment of the Army.

Lt Karnaveer hails from a family having a history of national service for three generations. His father, Col Vikram Singh Thakur, is also serving in the Indian Army while his mother, Narisha Thakur, is a homemaker. His grandfather Ramdhan Verma had retired from the Indian Army as a Colonel while his uncle is Group Captain Ajay Singh Thakur is serving the Indian Air Force.

Col Ramdhan Verma said that Karnaveer had nurtured a dream since childhood of joining the Army to serve the nation. He had achieved this milestone due to his hard work, discipline and dedication. The family, relatives and local residents congratulated Karnaveer on his success and wished him a bright future.

Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani said that Karnaveer’s achievement would inspire the youth of the region to step forward to serve the nation. MLA Trilok Jamwal extended his best wishes to Karnaveer. Members of Nichli Bhated gram panchayat and social organisations also extended their best wishes to.

in one widely shared example, a clip claiming to show a US warship shooting down an Iranian aircraft was later identified as footage from the video game War Thunder

Shyam Bhati

WITHIN hours of the first exchanges of strikes between Iran and Israel, dramatic videos began circulating online, claiming to show fighter jets shot down and cities reduced to rubble. Several were quickly exposed as fiction. Some clips have turned out to be images from video games. Others appear to have been

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVs-IH0DPYC/?igsh=MWRyd3k5bmh0aHphbw==

Col Pushpinder Singh Bath writes to Punjab DGP, alleges cover-up in assault by cops

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath and his son Angad under treatment. File photo

Nearly a year after he and his son were allegedly assaulted by police personnel in Patiala, Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath has written to Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav, seeking a “thorough investigation” into alleged misconduct, coercion and attempts at a cover-up by local police officials.

In a letter sent to the DGP on Monday, Colonel Bath demanded that the officers concerned be placed under suspension until the trial concludes, citing concerns about his family’s security. A copy of the letter has also been sent to Chief of Army Staff General Upendra Dwivedi.

Bath alleged the police officials who assaulted him snatched his military identity card and mobile phone and later created a false witness to cover up the incident. “The trail of lies that have been cooked up to say that these items were found by someone and handed over to the police needs to be exposed,” he said.

Bath further alleged that false reports were submitted by the police officers concerned to the court as well as to their department, and demanded an inquiry into the matter. He said strict action should be taken if the reports were found to be fabricated.

He also sought a departmental inquiry against the officers involved, including senior officials, and asked that fairness and transparency be ensured so that the accused could not influence the judicial process. A Punjab Police spokesperson said an FIR in the case was registered on March 22, 2025, at the Civil Lines police station in Patiala. The investigation was later transferred to the CBI.

The spokesperson said under the Punjab Police rules, the Senior Superintendent of Police was the competent authority to take disciplinary action against inspectors and lower ranks. Disciplinary action, including permanent forfeiture of three years of service, has been ordered against four inspectors and Constable Jai Singh, and all of them have been transferred out of the Patiala range.

In December, the CBI filed a chargesheet in a special court in Mohali against four inspectors — Harjinder Singh Dhillon, Shaminder Singh, Harry Boparai and Ronnie Singh — under relevant provisions of the BNS.

A projectile approaches what U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) says is an Iranian naval vessel, during strikes that included attacks on mine-laying vessels, at a location given as near the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in this screen grab from video released March 10, 2026. CENTCOM/Handout via

Dubai: The US military said it took out multiple Iranian vessels on Tuesday as the Islamic Republic vowed to block the region’s oil exports and concerns grew about the country’s threats to stop tankers from using a waterway through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil is shipped.

The US destroyed 16 mine-laying Iranian vessels, though President Donald Trump said in social media posts that there were no reports of Iran planting explosives in the Strait of Hormuz.

The American military released the figure, along with unclassified footage of some of the vessels, after Trump earlier warned Iran against laying mines in the strait.

Both sides sharpened their rhetoric as the war entered its 11th day, with Trump threatening to hit Iran at “a level never seen before” if the country failed to immediately remove any mines it might have deployed in the channel.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth promised the most intense strikes yet, while the Pentagon detailed the broader toll of injuries sustained by US troops.

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The conflict’s effects rippled across the Middle East and beyond. Iranian leaders ruled out talks, threatened Trump and launched new attacks against Israel and Gulf Arab countries.

In Iran, residents of Tehran said they experienced some of the war’s heaviest strikes. A woman said she saw a residential building get hit. She and others reached by The Associated Press spoke on condition of anonymity to prevent reprisals. Tens of thousands of Iranians have sought shelter in the countryside. AP

UN warns of higher food prices, cost-of-living if Strait of Hormuz shuts

March 11, 2026 8:55 am

United Nations: The United Nations has warned of significant risks to global trade and development, including higher food prices and cost-of-living, if the Strait of Hormuz is closed amid the West Asia conflict. The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) said in a report on Tuesday that the ongoing military escalation in the region due to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran and retaliation by Tehran has disrupted shipping flows through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. The narrow passage carries around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilisers. “The resulting ripple effects go far beyond the region, affecting energy markets, maritime transport and global supply chains,” the report said. PTI

Lebanon reports more deaths

March 11, 2026 8:16 am

Dubai: Multiple Israeli strikes killed seven people across southern Lebanon, the Lebanese Health Ministry said early on Wednesday. Also killed was a Red Cross member who died early on Wednesday after an Israeli strike targeted his team on Monday while they were rescuing people following an earlier attack, the health ministry said. On Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes killed four people, including a paramedic who worked for the Hezbollah-affiliated Islamic Health Authority who was treating the wounded. AP

US President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to escalate the war with Iran if it blocked oil shipments from the Middle East, even as he predicted a quick end to the conflict.

Trump’s warning came at the end of a day that saw global financial markets seesawing on concerns that Iran’s security establishment was rallying behind new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei and was not prepared to back down any time soon.

He warned that US attacks could rise sharply if Iran sought to block tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which handles one-fifth of the world’s oil supply. “We will hit them so hard that it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them to ever recover that section of the world,” Trump said at a news conference.

In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it would not allow “one liter of oil” to leave the region if attacks from the United States and Israel continue. “We are the ones who will determine the end of the war,” a spokesperson said, according to state media.

The conflicting signals sent markets on a rollercoaster, with oil prices surging and stock markets nosediving before swinging in the other direction after Trump’s prediction of a quick end to the war and reports of a possible ease in sanctions on Russian energy. — with Agencies

Iran says oil blockade will continue until attacks end, Trump threatens to hit harder

March 10, 2026 9:36 am

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Tuesday they would not allow “one litre of oil” to be shipped from the Middle East if US and Israeli attacks continue, prompting a warning from President Donald Trump that the US would hit Iran much harder if it blocked exports from the vital energy-producing region. Trump said the United States had inflicted serious damage on Iran’s military and predicted the conflict would end well before the initial four-week time frame he had laid out, though he has not defined what victory would look like. Israel says its war aim is to overthrow Iran’s system of clerical rule. US officials mainly say Washington’s aim is to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities and nuclear programme, but Trump has said the war can end only with a compliant Iranian government.

New footage raises likelihood US struck Iranian school where blast killed at least 165

March 10, 2026 8:59 am

New footage shows what an expert investigative group says is likely an American Tomahawk missile hitting a compound in southern Iran, metres from the school where a deadly unclaimed blast killed over 165 people at the start of the war raging in the Mideast. It comes as mounting evidence points to US culpability for the February 28 strike, which hit a school adjacent to a Revolutionary Guard base in Minab, Iran, in the country’s southern Hormozgan Province. Experts interviewed by the AP, citing satellite image analysis, say the school was probably struck amid a quick succession of bombs dropped on the compound. A US official familiar with internal deliberations on the matter has told the AP that the strike was likely American.

Five Iranian women’s soccer players granted humanitarian visas in Australia

March 10, 2026 8:52 am

Australia on Tuesday granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women’s soccer team players after they sought asylum fearing persecution in their home nation. The announcement came after US President Donald Trump said he had spoken to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about the Iran women’s soccer team in Australia following reports that the players had requested asylum. The remaining players are in a hotel on the Gold Coast. Albanese said help is available to the other players but it was up to them to accept. “Australians have been moved by the plight of these brave women,” Albanese told a news conference in Canberra on Tuesday. “They’re safe here, and they should feel at home here.” The Iranian women’s soccer team are in Australia for the Asian Cup tournament.

Multiple strikes shake Tehran

March 10, 2026 8:49 am

Citizens in Iran’s capital heard more than 20 heavy explosions as many rushed to safer places. The strikes around midnight were the heaviest air raids on Tehran since beginning of the war. The sound of bombers and warplanes flying overhead was constant for about half an hour. Witnesses reported explosions in western areas of the city. Electricity was cut off in some neighbourhoods. Similar explosions in other Iranian cities were reported on social media. Iranian media did not report on damage and casualties from the strikes.

Trump and Putin discuss Iran war during phone call, Kremlin says

March 10, 2026 8:49 am

US President Donald Trump had a call on Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Iran and other issues, which according to the Kremlin was a “frank and businesslike” conversation that lasted about an hour.

Oil refinery hit

March 10, 2026 8:47 am

Tehran was choked in black smoke after an oil refinery was hit, an escalation in strikes on Iran’s domestic energy supplies. World Health Organization chief Tedros Ghebreyesus warned the fire risks contaminating food, water and air. Turkey said NATO air defences had shot down a ballistic missile that was fired from Iran and entered Turkish airspace, the second such incident of the war. Iran did not immediately comment on the report. Israel’s military said it had launched new attacks in central Iran and struck the Lebanese capital Beirut, where Israel has extended its campaign after the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah fired across the border.

Oil surges, then dips back

March 10, 2026 8:47 am

The war has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global oil and liquefied natural gas transport, leaving tankers unable to sail for more than a week and forcing producers to halt pumping as storage fills. Brent crude futures jumped about 7% to settle at their highest price since 2022 after soaring by as much as 29% during the session, as Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members cut supplies. But prices fell in post-settlement trade. The price of gasoline has particular political resonance in the United States, where voters cite rising costs as a top concern ahead of the November midterm elections, when Trump’s Republicans will try to keep control of Congress.

‘We are the ones who will determine the end of the war’: Iran’s sharp response to Trump

March 10, 2026 8:44 am

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said it would not allow “one liter of oil” to leave the region if attacks from the United States and Israel continue. “We are the ones who will determine the end of the war,” a spokesperson said, according to state media. The conflicting signals sent markets on a rollercoaster, with oil prices surging and stock markets nosediving before swinging in the other direction after Trump’s prediction of a quick end to the war and reports of a possible ease in sanctions on Russian energy.

Extensive search operations underway to locate him

An Army soldier went missing during a river crossing exercise in Sunderbani sector of Rajouri district on Monday, prompting the launch of a joint rescue operation to trace him, officials said.

They said the incident occurred in Manawar river in Khour area and a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) joined Army and police in the operation to trace him.

“During a river crossing training exercise conducted in general area of Sundarbani, Sepoy Akshit Sharma was reported missing at around 12 pm today (Monday). Extensive search operations are underway with all available resources of the Army and civil agencies being employed to locate the soldier,” Army’s White Knight Corps said in a post on X.

The officials said an Army unit was conducting a training drill in the water body as part of routine operational preparedness.

Divers and specialised rescue equipment have been deployed, and the search operation is ongoing, they said.

Accounted for 8.3% of global weapons sale in 2021-25

India has yet again emerged as the world’s second-largest importer of weapons, accounting for 8.3 per cent of global arms sales for a five-year block (2021-2025), according to the latest report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).

Ukraine, which is involved in a war with Russia, occupies the top spot and accounted for 9.7 per cent of global imports between 2021 and 2025.

The SIPRI report — “Trends in International Arms Transfers, 2025” — was released on Monday morning and had a positive note that India’s dependence on imported arms had reduced. The report compared a previous five-year block (2016-2020) with the latest assessment (2021-2025) and said: “Indian arms imports fell by 4 per cent between 2016-20 and 2021-25.”

The decrease could be partly attributed to India’s growing ability to design and produce its own weapons, although there were often substantial delays in domestic production, the report said. It also highlighted that India’s recent orders or planned orders, including up to 140 combat aircraft from France and six submarines from Germany, indicate its continued and probably increasing reliance on foreign suppliers.

India’s principal suppliers for the period 2021-2025 had been Russia, France and Israel, said the SIPRI report even as it cited how India had shifted its arms relations away from Russia towards Western suppliers, especially France, Israel and the US, over the past decade. “Russia’s share of Indian arms imports dropped from 70 per cent in 2011-15 to 51 per cent in 2016-20 and 40 per cent in 2021-25,” the SIPRI report said. During 2021-25, France and Israel supplied 29 per cent and 15 per cent of India’s imports.

The SIPRI report further argued that India’s imports were driven by its tensions with both China and Pakistan. Pakistan is the fifth largest importer of weapons, accounting for 4.2 per cent of all global imports. It was a 66 per cent hike from the previous five-year block of 2016-2020.

India must count on the Ghatak Combat UAV (initially designated as Indian Unmanned Strike Air Vehicle) stealthy unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV) as a cornerstone of its air defence strategy against China, given the People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s rapid deployment of over 300 J-20 fifth-generation stealth fighters and emerging sixth-generation platforms. However, details of the project are classified.

On July 1, 2022, DRDO carried out the maiden test flight of a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), an autonomous Flying Wing Technology Demonstrator, from the Aeronautical Test Range, Chitradurga, in Karnataka, this vehicle is the predecessor to the GHATAK UCAV,

India defense updates

“Operating in a fully autonomous mode, the aircraft exhibited a perfect flight, including take-off, way point navigation and a smooth touchdown,” This flight marks a major milestone in terms of proving critical technologies towards the development of future unmanned aircraft and is significant step towards self-reliance in such strategic defence technologies.” DRDO said in a statement then.

The flight control system and data link packages of the UCAV will be developed inhouse by ADA and Defence Electronics Application Laboratory. The UCAV will have on-board mission computers, data links, fire control radars, identification of friend or foe, and collision avoidance systems, they will be highly intelligent drones. The Ghatak UCAV will be developed with public – private sector participation.

This indigenous unmanned combat aerial vehicle, developed by DRDO’s Aeronautical Development Establishment, offers unmatched stealth and autonomy tailored to counter Beijing’s numerical superiority in contested airspace along the Line of Actual Control.

The Ghatak’s flying-wing design ensures a low radar cross-section, comparable to advanced stealth aircraft, allowing it to penetrate deep into enemy territory without detection by Chinese HQ-9 or S-400 systems.

With a maximum take-off weight of 13 tons—larger than the TEJAS fighter—it boasts superior combat radius exceeding 1,000 kilometres and a 1.5-ton internal weapons bay for precision-guided munitions.

Defence policy updates

This payload capacity outstrips many manned fighters, enabling sustained deep-strike missions, suppression of enemy air defences, and intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance roles without risking pilots. Integration with the indigenous Dry Kaveri engine further enhances endurance, positioning Ghatak as a force multiplier in high-threat environments dominated by China’s stealth edge.

Armed with Astra MK-3 beyond-visual-range missiles, boasting a 350-kilometre reach and active radar seeker, Ghatak can engage J-20s or GJ-11 “Sharp Sword” stealth drones at standoff distances. Its distributed aperture system, fusing electro-optical, infrared, and radar sensors, grants 360-degree situational awareness, permitting close-in intercepts even against low-observable targets.

In manned-unmanned teaming with platforms like TEJAS MK-2 or AMCA, Ghatak acts as a ‘loyal wingman’, scouting ahead, neutralising threats, and absorbing attrition to preserve manned assets. The Indian Air Force envisions 8-9 squadrons—potentially 150-160 units—offering scalable numbers at a fraction of fifth-generation fighter costs, sidestepping import dependencies and sanctions risks.

China’s sixth-generation prototypes, emphasising AI swarming and directed energy, demand attritable, autonomous counters; Ghatak’s AI-driven navigation, target identification, and swarm tactics provide this edge. Unlike costly foreign jets, its indigenous production aligns with Aatmanirbhar Bharat, enabling rapid replenishment amid prolonged conflicts.

Drone combat training

Recent boosts, including scaled-up development and 2026 rollout targets alongside TEJAS MK-2, underscore momentum despite sanction delays. Ghatak’s versatility in combat air patrol, SEAD, and strategic strikes renders it indispensable for air superiority over Ladakh or Arunachal, where pilot losses would cripple IAF morale and operations.

Procuring Ghatak over imported stealth fighters averts numerical disadvantages; 160 units could overwhelm J-20 packages through coordinated strikes with surface-to-air missiles. Its stealthy profile and long loiter time enable pre-emptive neutralisation of Chinese forward bases, reshaping escalation dynamics.

Advanced sensor fusion allows Ghatak to detect stealthy foes via multi-spectral cues, launching Astra MK-3 salvos before countermeasures activate. This closes the sensor-shooter gap, vital against China’s quantitative lead and maturing drone fleets.

Ultimately, Ghatak embodies strategic autonomy, cost-effectiveness, and technological sovereignty, making it the optimal choice for the IAF to deter and defeat Chinese airpower in the 2030s battlespace.

IDN (With Agency Inputs)

Dozens of people have been wounded in Bahrain following an Iranian drone attack on the island of Sitra, as the Gulf region grapples with a fresh wave of missile and drone assaults.

Bahrain’s health ministry confirmed that 32 Bahraini citizens suffered injuries overnight, with four cases described as serious, including children among the victims.

The ministry detailed particularly harrowing injuries, such as those sustained by a 17-year-old girl who endured severe head and eye trauma, and a two-month-old baby caught in the attack. This incident marks a grim escalation in Tehran’s retaliatory campaign, which has targeted multiple Gulf states since the US and Israeli air strikes against Iran on 28 February.

Explosions reverberated through Qatar’s capital, Doha, on Monday, as reported by AFP journalists on the ground. Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Kuwait all disclosed new attacks, underscoring the breadth of Iran’s response across the Arabian Peninsula.

Qatar’s defence ministry stated that its forces successfully intercepted a missile barrage aimed at the country. This follows repeated waves of Iranian drones and missiles since Tehran initiated its sprawling retaliation against Gulf neighbours, whom it accuses of facilitating strikes on its territory.

In Saudi Arabia, the defence ministry announced the interception and destruction of two separate drone waves targeting the vital Shaybah oil field in the kingdom’s southeast. The facility, a cornerstone of Saudi oil production, highlights the strategic nature of these assaults amid heightened regional tensions.

The United Arab Emirates’ National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority issued a statement on X, confirming that air defences had responded to an incoming missile threat. Such defences have been repeatedly tested as Iran’s strikes probe vulnerabilities across the Gulf.

Kuwait faced yet another assault on Monday, after authorities reported seven missiles and five drones striking the country on Sunday. The defence ministry affirmed that its air defences were actively working to neutralise the latest barrage, reflecting the relentless pace of the attacks.

The United States has taken precautionary measures amid the chaos, ordering non-emergency embassy staff and their families to depart Saudi Arabia on Sunday. A State Department travel advisory cited mounting safety risks, following drone strikes on the US embassy in Riyadh last week, as well as damage to American diplomatic facilities in Kuwait and the UAE.

Gulf nations have absorbed the brunt of Iran’s fury after the US-Israel air campaign battered Iranian targets earlier this month. Tehran views these states as complicit, with their airspace or bases allegedly used to launch attacks against the Islamic Republic.

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued stark warnings, stating that Iran “will be forced to respond” if neighbouring territories continue to serve as platforms for aggression. This rhetoric signals potential for further intensification, as proxy militias and direct strikes blur the lines of conflict.

The ongoing exchanges risk disrupting global energy markets, with key oil infrastructure like Saudi Arabia’s Shaybah field now in the crosshairs. International observers fear a broader conflagration, drawing in more actors as diplomatic channels strain under the pressure.

Civilian casualties, particularly among children in Bahrain, have drawn condemnation from human rights groups, who urge de-escalation. Gulf leaders, meanwhile, coordinate with Western allies to bolster defences, while Tehran frames its actions as legitimate self-defence.

As the Iran-Israel war spills over into the Gulf, live updates track the volatile situation, with fears mounting over disruptions to shipping lanes and energy supplies.