The development came as security has been tightened in the country following the April 22 terror attack in which 26 people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam
The Union Ministry of Home Affairs has ordered mock drills to be conducted in 244 districts on May 7 to assess effective civil defence.
The central government on Monday announced a nationwide civic defence mock drill on Wednesday in states including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha and West Bengal.
Chandigarh and Shimla will also be a part of the drill.
The development came as security has been tightened in the country following the April 22 terror attack in which 26 people were killed in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam.
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Was LeT involved: UN asks ‘tough questions’ to Pakistan over Pahalgam attack
UNSC members also dismiss Pakistan’s narrative that Pahalgam terror attack was a ‘false flag’ operation allegedly orchestrated by India
In a closed-door meeting held in New York on Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council urged Pakistan to resolve its differences with India through bilateral dialogue and sought accountability for the April 22 massacre of innocent tourists in Pahalgam. The UNSC also inquired about the possible involvement of the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the attack.
The meeting, focused on the situation in Kashmir, began at 12:30 am and was attended by all 15 UNSC members — five permanent and ten non-permanent, including Pakistan, which is currently serving a two-year term on the Council.
According to news agency ANI, UNSC members posed tough questions to Pakistan during the informal session. Efforts by Islamabad to internationalise the situation reportedly failed, with Council members reiterating that India and Pakistan should address their issues bilaterally.
Members also dismissed Pakistan’s narrative that the Pahalgam terror attack was a “false flag” operation allegedly orchestrated by India. Instead, they pressed for clarity on whether LeT, operating from Pakistan, had any role in the incident.
There was broad condemnation of the April 22 terrorist attack, with several UNSC members underscoring the importance of accountability. Some specifically raised concerns about the targeting of tourists based on religious identity.
Additionally, many members expressed alarm over Pakistan’s recent missile tests and provocative nuclear rhetoric, describing them as escalatory factors.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday visited the house of Lt Vinay Narwal in Karnal to condole the death.
Lt. Narwal was among the 26 people killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.
Gandhi remained with the family for around 90 minutes. However, the media was not allowed inside. When Rahul met the family, all Congress leaders remained outside.
After the meeting, Rahul did not speak to the media, but took to X to express his condolences and underline the need for national unity and justice for the victims.
“I met the bereaved family of Lt. Vinay Narwal ji who was martyred in the Pahalgam attack and shared their grief and consoled them,” Gandhi posted on X. He lauded the strength of the martyr’s family, saying, “Their courage and bravery even in the midst of immense grief is a message for the country—we have to remain united.”
He said, “The whole country stands with the families of the martyrs.”
Gandhi reiterated that the opposition is firmly aligned with the government on the matter of national security. “The opposition fully supports the government. The culprits should be punished in such a way that no one dares to raise an eye towards India.”
He demanded justice for the terror attack victims and said, “Today the entire nation, along with the victim families, is waiting for justice.”
Congress state-incharge BK Hariprasad, co-incharge Prafulla Vinod Rao, state president Udai Bhan, Rohtak MP Deepender Hooda and former MLA Sumita Singh were also present there.
Indian Air Force to hold 2-day war game along border with Pakistan
Civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border
The Indian Air Force will carry out a two-day mega military exercise along the border with Pakistan from Wednesday that will involve all the frontline fighter jets including Rafale, Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft, sources in the defence establishment said on Tuesday.
The exercise is taking place amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan over the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 people.
India’s civil aviation authorities have already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for the major air exercise that will largely take place along the southern and western section of the Indo-Pakistan border.
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India’s frontline fighter jets, including the Rafale, Su-30 MKI, MiG-29, Mirage-2000, Tejas and AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control System) aircraft, are set to feature in the exercise, sources said.
In the course of the exercise, the IAF will simulate enemy targets on ground and in the air with deadly precision, they said.
The militaries of both India and Pakistan are on a high alert following rising tensions between the two nations.
Soon after the Pahalgam terror attack, India, citing “cross-border linkages” to the strike, promised severe punishment to those involved.
In a high-level meeting with the top defence brass on April 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the armed forces have “complete operational freedom” to decide on the mode, targets and timing of India’s response to the terror attack.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh met the PM on Sunday and the Chief of Air Staff briefed him about the IAF’s operational readiness.
On Saturday, Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi apprised the prime minister of the overall situation in the critical sea lanes in the Arabian Sea.
The BSF guards a total of 6,726 km of the two borders which includes 2,290 km of the India-Pakistan International Border and 339 km along the Line of Control (LoC) apart from 4,097 km of the front with Bangladesh
The Border Security Force (BSF) is all set to get the government’s final nod to raise 16 more battalions, comprising around 17,000 troopers, and set up two forward headquarters for its western and eastern commands guarding the Pakistan and Bangladesh frontiers, respectively, official sources have said.
The plan has already received an in-principle approval. Once sanctioned, it will be a shot in the arm for the force that has heightened vigil in the east following last year’s fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh and in the wake of a renewed challenge on the Pakistan front after the Pahalgam massacre.
The BSF is soon expected to get the final sanction for raising 16 new battalions which will be raised over the next few years, sources in the security establishment told PTI.
Some final approvals, including sanction from the Union Finance Ministry are pending and are expected to be granted soon, they said.
The paramilitary force has 193 battalions as of now to guard the two fronts. A battalion of the border force consists of over 1,000 troopers. Hence, the overall strength of the 16 new battalions will be around 17,000 personnel.
These new battalions will help the BSF in its primary task of guarding the Pakistan and Bangladesh borders as per a blueprint being prepared by the border force, they said.
The sources said two field command bases for the force have also been approved by the Union Home Ministry.
One sector will come up in Jammu to strengthen security along the India-Pakistan International Border in Jammu and Punjab and the second will be based in Mizoram for better surveillance of the Bangladesh border, they said.
The current sectors, headed by deputy inspector general (DIG) rank officers, in its Jammu frontier are located at Rajouri, Sunderbani, Jammu and Indreshwar Nagar. Under its Mizoram and Cachar frontier headquartered in Assam, the sectors are located at Silchar, Aizawl and one in Manipur.
Sources said the BSF will initiate recruitment drives to hire men and women for these new battalions, followed by their training. The force is expected to raise these units over a period of five to six years, they added.
According to officials, the 2.70-lakh personnel force had sent a proposal to the home ministry a few years ago to raise 20-21 new battalions owing to “the fast-changing security dynamics, profile of the terrain and related issues” in its primary task area of guarding the two borders apart from combat duties in the anti-Naxal operations theatre. The government finally agreed to raise 16 new battalions, they said.
The BSF guards a total of 6,726 km of the two borders which includes 2,290 km of the India-Pakistan International Border and 339 km along the Line of Control (LoC) apart from 4,097 km of the front with Bangladesh.
A total of around 1,047 km of these two borders is unfenced owing to those lines passing through riverine areas and harsh jungle terrain. The force has 1,760 border posts along these two frontiers.
Probe: Satellite phone signals detected during Pahalgam terror attack
Amid the ongoing investigation into the Pahalgam terror attack, security agencies are reported to have detected satellite phone signals in the region at the time of the incident.
According to sources, intelligence agencies found that satellite phone signals were active in and around Baisaran Valley when the April 22 attack occurred. Investigators are now focusing on identifying the make of the satellite phone, with initial suspicion pointing to a possible Chinese origin.
This discovery suggests that the terrorists involved — who gunned down 26 civilians — were likely in communication with one another before and possibly during the attack. Earlier reports had indicated that no communication signals were traced within a 50-km radius for nearly a week leading up to the assault, making this a significant new lead in the investigation.
The latest development also aligns with intelligence inputs indicating the involvement of Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), the ISI and even the Pakistani army.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) formally took over the probe on April 27.
Meanwhile, LeT overground workers are believed to have played a critical role in facilitating the attack. Efforts are underway to compile a comprehensive list of their contacts so that action can be taken. Investigators have found that these overground operatives were also in communication with handlers based in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Advanced 3D mapping and artificial intelligence tools are being employed to recreate the sequence of events during the attack, sources said.
UN Security Council to hold closed consultations on Indo-Pak situation today
Pakistan currently sits as a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation Security Council
The UN Security Council will hold closed consultations on Monday on the situation between India and Pakistan after Islamabad sought an emergency meeting on the issue.
Pakistan currently sits as a non-permanent member of the powerful 15-nation Security Council, which is being presided over by Greece for the month of May.
Islamabad “requested closed consultations” on the tensions between the two countries and the Greek Presidency has scheduled the meeting for May 5 in the afternoon.
Apart from the five veto-wielding permanent members — China, France, Russia, the UK and the US — the 10 non-permanent members in the Council are Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Somalia.
Amid rising tensions between the nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations and president of the Security Council for the month of May Ambassador Evangelos Sekeris had last week said that if a request comes for a meeting to discuss the situation between India and Pakistan, “then… I think this meeting should take place because, as we said, maybe it’s also an opportunity to have views expressed and this might help to defuse a bit of tension”.
“We are in close contact…but this is something which might happen, I would say, sooner rather than later. We will see, we are preparing,” Sekeris had said.
In response to a question by PTI on India being a victim of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, which now sits in the Council as a non-permanent member, Sekeris said, “It’s an issue which is very pertinent.”
“As I said before, as a position of principle, we strongly condemn any act of terrorism and this is what we did” on the “heinous terrorist attack” that took place in Pahalgam in which innocent civilians died, Sekeris said.
Sekeris noted that “we express our condolences to the government of India, Nepal and the families of victims. This is a position of principle. We condemn terrorism in all its forms, everywhere it is happening. On the other hand, we are concerned about this tension which is mounting in the region. Two very big countries. Of course, India is far bigger” than Pakistan.
State Stalwarts
DEFENCE MINISTER
Minister Rajnath Singh
ALL HUMANS ARE ONE CREATED BY GOD
HINDUS,MUSLIMS,SIKHS.ISAI SAB HAI BHAI BHAI
CHIEF PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
LT GEN JASBIR SINGH DHALIWAL, DOGRA
SENIOR PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
MAJOR GEN HARVIJAY SINGH, SENA MEDAL ,corps of signals
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PATRON ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
MAJ GEN RAMINDER GURAYA ,MADRAS REGIMENT
sanjhamorcha303@gmail.com
PRESIDENT SOUTH ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
COL SS RAJAN BOMBAY SAPPERS,
PRESIDENT UTTARAKHAND ALL INDIA SANJHA MORCHA
COL B M THAPA ,BENGAL SAPPERSS
PRESIDENT HARAYANA STATE CUM COORDINATOR ESM
BRIG DALJIT THUKRAL ,BENGAL SAPPERS
PRESIDENT TRICITY
COL B S BRAR (BHUPI BRAR)
PRESIDENT CHANDIGARH ZONE
COL SHANJIT SINGH BHULLAR
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PRESIDENT PANCHKULA ZONE AND ZIRAKPUR
COL SWARAN SINGH
INDIAN DEFENCE FORCES
DEFENCE FORCES INTEGRATED LOGO
INDIAN AIR FORCE
Air Officer C-in-C WESTERN AIR COMMAND
AIR MSHL S PRABHAKARAN AVSM VM
AOC-IN-C, EASTERN AIR COMMAND
Air Marshal Inderpal Singh Walia
AOC-in-C SOUTH WESTERN AIR COMMAND
Air Marshal Vikram Singh
AOC-IN-C, SOUTHERN AIR COMMAND
Air Marshal J.Chalapati
AOC-IN-C TRAINING COMMAND
AIR MARSHAL SK GHOTIA VSM
AOC-IN-C MAINTENANCE COMMAND
Air Marshal Jagdish Chandra
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Western Naval Command
ice Admiral R Hari Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, VSM
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Eastern Naval Command
Vice Admiral Sanjay Bhalla, AVSM, NM
Flag Officer Commanding in Chief, Southern Naval Command
