Washington, Dubai, Jan. 13: President Donald Trump has arrived at a delicate moment as he weighs whether to order a US military response against the Iranian govern ment as it continues a violent crackdown on protests and led to the arrests of thousands across the country. The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran spiked on Tuesday to at least 2,003 people killed, activists said, and Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications during a crackdown. The number of dead, as reported by the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, dwarfs that in any other round of protest or unrest in Iran in decades and recalls the chaos surround ing the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution. These demonstrations, which began little over two weeks ago in anger over Iran’s ailing economy, soon targeted the theocracy, par ticularly 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Images obtained on Tuesday by The Associated Press from demonstrations in Tehran show graffiti Protesters hold a Lion and Sun flag, the Iranian flag prior to the 1979 Islamic revolution, during a demon stration outside the Iranian embassy in The Hague, on Tuesday. and chants calling for Khamenei’s death — some thing that could carry a death sentence. Iran eased some restric tions on its people and, for the first time in days, allowed them to make phone calls abroad via their mobile phones on Tuesday. It did not ease restrictions on the internet or allow texting services to be restored. Although Iranians were able to call abroad, people outside the country could not call them, several peo ple in the capital told The Associated Press. The witnesses, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, said SMS text messaging still was down and internet users inside Iran could not access anything abroad, although there were local connections to govern ment-approved websites. It was unclear if restric tions would ease further after authorities cut off all communications inside the country and to the outside world on Thursday. Trump has repeatedly threatened Tehran with military action.

On November 9, 2024, during a counter-terrorist operation at Sopore in Baramulla district, Jammu and Kashmir, Major Aman Dhar, while leading a Quick Reaction Team, displayed exceptional courage, leadership and presence of mind. He, while acting on credible intelligence, swiftly closed in on the target area and established an effective cordon. During the encounter, a terrorist broke into a nearby house while firing heavily, endangering innocent civilians.

In an act of extreme bravery, Major Dhar rescued seven civilians, including four children, by evacuating them through the rear window of the house. Thereafter, he used a JCB machine to gain access to the terrorist’s hideout and engaged him in a fierce close-quarter battle. When the terrorist attempted to escape by hurling a grenade and firing indiscriminately, Major Dhar, with resolute courage and composure, neutralised him in close combat. For his indomitable courage, conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty, he was awarded the “Sena Medal” (Gallantry), which was conferred on him by the President of India and presented to him by the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Western Command.

Major Dhar was commissioned in the Corps of Signals on June 9, 2018, and is a Technical Entry Scheme (TES) officer. He underwent four years of rigorous training at the Cadets Training Wing, Mhow. He is an alumnus of St Paul’s Senior Secondary School (ICSE wing), Palampur. He is the son of Anil Sharma and Manju Sharma.

Four landmines and a mortar shell exploded near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district without causing any harm to human lives, officials said on Thursday.

The mortar shell buried underground went off when an earth-mover was digging the land at Sagra village in Mankote area on Thursday morning, the officials said. The driver of the excavator escaped unhurt in the explosion that rocked the area.

A police team was rushed to the scene following the explosion to probe the matter. The mortar shell apparently remained unexploded during cross-border shelling, the officials said.

In another incident, four landmines exploded in the Balakote area on Wednesday, they said.

The landmines were activated by a bomb disposal squad after they were found dislocated from the anti-infiltration obstacle system due to recent heavy rain, the officials said.

Nearly a dozen landmines exploded as a forest fire raged along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district for the second day on Tuesday, officials said.

The fire broke out in the Basooni forward area of Balakote sector on Monday afternoon and spread to parts of the Mendhar sector on Tuesday.

The fire caused nearly a dozen landmines to explode, according to the officials.

The forward areas along the LoC are dotted with landmines as part of an anti-infiltration obstacle system to prevent terrorists from intruding into Indian territory from across the border.

Amid the threat of possible infiltration attempts, multi-tier security arrangements have been strengthened and patrolling intensified in the area, the officials said.

The Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has upheld disciplinary proceedings initiated against a woman Colonel from the Judge Advocate General’s Department (JAG) after a court of inquiry (COI) held her blameworthy for security lapses and other acts of impropriety at Yol Cantonment in Himachal Pradesh.

Based on the findings and recommendations of the COI, the General Officer Commanding 9 Corps had directed disciplinary action against the officer, Col Annu Dogra, for providing an unauthorised entry pass to a civilian, intentionally providing false identification to personnel on duty at entry gates as his sponsor to facilitate his entry into the military station on multiple occasions, improperly permitting him to stay overnight in the absence of her husband, making false statements regarding his earlier visits and overnight stay, making false accusations against the security set up and intentionally misleading an officer from the Corps of Military Police regarding his presence in one of her rooms.

Pursuant thereto, the applicant was attached to Headquarters 40 Artillery Division. The Division Commander suspended her from duty and extended the order of suspension from time to time.

In her petition before AFT, she averred that the COI’s convening authority did not appoint the COI’s presiding officer and members by name, which was a violation of the Army’s policy. The COI in this instance was convened by the Station Commander, Yol.

She also alleged that the issuance of the COI’s convening order was malafide, proper procedure for summoning some witnesses were not followed and that the COI was fed information by the higher authorities. Her husband also submitted complaints of sexual harassment and attempts to malign her reputation and character to higher authorities and National Commission for Women, on which she claimed no action was taken.

The tribunal’s bench, comprising Justice Sudhir Mittal and Lt Gen Ranbir Singh, held that in accordance with the relevant rules, there is no legal requirement of naming the presiding officer and members of a COI. The bench observed that the Station Commander could not have himself appointed the members because all officers in the military station are subject to directions of the Corps Headquarters and orders issued by the Corps Headquarters under the required rules had named the members.

The bench also termed the allegations of sexual harassment on the face of the record as palpably incorrect. “Merely because the applicant is a lady officer, it cannot be said that she was being sexually harassed or intimidated or that her character was being called into question.  The complaints did not require any action to be taken and this fact cannot lead to an inference of malafide intention,” the bench said.

The next step in the disciplinary process is framing of a tentative chargesheet, hearing of charge and recording of summary of evidence, which is a prelude to a possible trial by a general court martial. “However, we have been informed that much progress has not been made as the health of the petitioner has deteriorated. It appears that the petitioner is trying to delay the proceedings so as to bar trial by way of limitation,” the bench observed after finding no infirmity with the COI and declining to interfere with the disciplinary action.

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