JULY HAS BEEN A TRYING MONTH FOR INDIA’S SECURITY forces in Jammu, with nine casualties in the first three weeks. The recent spate of terror attacks in a region that had been declared ‘militancy-free’ some 15 years back has the Indian security establishment scrambling for a tough response. The count this year is already inching up to the number of casualties suffered in all of 2023 (20 deaths), with army sources now even suspecting the involvement of the Pakistan army’s elite SSG (Special Service Group). Besides Poonch and Rajouri, there have also been attacks in Kathua, Udhampur and Doda. The latest incident was the killing of four soldiers, including a captain, in the Dessa hills of Doda on July 15.
The hilly Doda district has been hit hard—the past two months have seen almost half a dozen terror strikes. The area falls under the province of the army’s Delta forces, has mountains as high as 14,500 ft covered with dense coniferous forests spread over 1,400-odd sq. km where militants can find shelter. The local population, a mix of Hindus and Muslims, have not forgotten their brutal past. Scores of them had shifted from the villages to safer zones like Jammu or other towns during the peak militancy years (19962006). The region had seen over a dozen massacres of civilians, most of them Hindus. Several people, including three local sarpanches, admitted to india today that fear had again upended their lives. “Earlier, we used to stay out till 10 pm,” says a sarpanch from Bhalesa village. “But now, we return home by 7, and switch off the lights.”
Denne historien er fra 12th August, 2024-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra 12th August, 2024-utgaven av India Today.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Sporting Q+A Fella
IN NETFLIX’S VIJAY 69, ANUPAM KHER PLAYS A 69-YEAR-OLD WHO DECIDES TO COMPETE IN A TRIATHLON. THE ACTOR TALKS ABOUT WHY HE CONTINUES TO CHALLENGE HIMSELF
Museum Under the Sky
Photographer Ahtushi Deshpande's passion project, Speaking Stones documents the threatened rock art of Ladakh
Reclaiming Our Archives
Sumana Roy contests the negative connotations regarding provincials in this thought-provoking book
TRAVEL AND ITS DISCONTENTS
Shahnaz Habib's Airplane Mode is asensitive dive into the complex and contentious activity that modern-day travel has devolved into
CELEBRATING WORDS
The sixth edition of the Dehradun Literature Festival promises a convergence of literature, cinema and societal issues
MORE THAN A FILM FESTIVAL
The 13th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) is being held November 7-10 at McLeod Ganj in Dharamshala.
HOLDING THE FORT
PANORAMA EDITIONS, AN INTERNATIONAL ART SALON CURATED BY ARTIST SARAH SINGH, RETURNS WITH A UNIQUE THEATRICAL STAGING AND EXHIBITION IN GWALIOR
A HOMECOMING OF SORTS
Indian contemporary artist Subodh Gupta’s exhibition The Way Home pays homage to Bihar, where his roots lie
Art and the City
Mumbai's leading art fair, Art Mumbai, returns to the iconic Mahalaxmi Racecourse, promising a \"bigger, brighter, and more inventive\" experience for art enthusiasts with a thoughtfully curated display of modern and contemporary art from India, South Asia and beyond.
PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS AN OLD MAN
At 99 and still painting, Krishen Khanna is one of our most venerable artists ever