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Two soldiers who were critically wounded in Thursday's terror attack in <keyword id="19900657" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jammu-and-Kashmir" source="keywords">Jammu and Kashmir</keyword>'s Gulmarg succumbed to their injuries, raising the <keyword id="19906608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="death-toll" source="keywords">death toll</keyword> in the ambush to four. Two Army porters died on Thursday while another porter and a soldier were injured. <keyword id="19900658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="terrorists" source="keywords">Terrorists</keyword> attacked a vehicle of the force six kilometres from tourist hotspot Gulmarg in north Kashmir's <keyword id="19934342" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Baramulla-district" source="keywords">Baramulla district</keyword>, officials said on Thursday. They had said the terrorists opened fire on the Army vehicle in the <keyword id="23679509" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bota-Pathri" source="keywords">Bota Pathri</keyword> area in the evening when it was headed for the Nagin post in the Afrawat range. Confirming the deaths of the two porters, the officials had said the condition of two of the injured soldiers was critical. They had said the soldiers in the vehicle opened retaliatory fire when they came under attack. The area is completely dominated by the Army and there were reports recently that a terrorist group had infiltrated during early summer and taken shelter in the higher reaches of the Afrawat range, they said. The Bota Pathri area was recently opened to tourists. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister <keyword id="20140674" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Omar-Abdullah" source="keywords">Omar Abdullah</keyword> said the recent spate of attacks in the Valley was a matter of serious concern. "Very unfortunate news about the attack on the Army vehicles in the Bota Pathri area of north Kashmir, which has resulted in some casualties and injuries. This recent spate of attacks in Kashmir is a matter of serious concern," he said in a post on X. "I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and send my condolences to the loved ones of the people who lost their lives. I also pray that the injured make a complete and swift recovery," he added. Former chief minister and People's Democratic Party supremo <keyword id="20009700" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mehbooba-Mufti" source="keywords">Mehbooba Mufti</keyword> also condemned the attack. The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir president Ravinder Raina, meanwhile, condemned the attack and blamed Pakistan for trying to destabilise peace and tranquillity in the Union Territory. The attack came amid a spike in terror incidents in the Valley. In another deadly attack on Sunday, six non-local labourers and a local doctor were killed when terrorists fired indiscriminately upon them at the Z-Morh tunnel construction site in the Gagangir area of central Kashmir's Ganderbal district. Before that, a labourer from Bihar was shot dead by terrorists in Shopian district on October 18. Earlier on Thursday, terrorists shot at and injured a labourer from Uttar Pradesh in the Tral area of Pulwama district.

Gulmarg terror attack: Two soldiers succumb to injuries, toll rises to four

<ul><li>An improvised explosive device kills 34 security personnel in Pulwama, Kashmir</li><li>Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls the attack ‘dastardly’</li><li>It is the deadliest terrorist attacks seen in the troubled valley in recent years</li><li>Government tells TV channels to not show that can incite violence or anti-national attitudes</li></ul> The Indian government has issued a caution advisory to the country's television channels reporting on the terrorist attack that killed nearly 42 Indian security personnel in Pulwama, Kashmir. A late evening advisory from the government advised caution particularly with content, which "can incite violence or contains anything against the maintenance of law and order or which promotes anti-national attitudes, and/or anything that contains anything affecting the integrity of the nation; and ensure that no such content is telecast which is violative of these codes." Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack in a tweet along with other leading ministers of his cabinet. Union Minister Arun Jaitley called the attack an act of “cowardice: while warning that “terrorists will be given an unforgettable lesson for their heinous act.” The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Moahammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the bloodbath and released a video clip of the suicide bomber which it claimed was shot before the young man carried out the audacious attack in Lethpora, about 30 km from here. -- With inputs from IANS

Indian TV channels get an advisory to report Pulwama attack with 'caution'

Srinagar, Jun 22 () A 65-year-old COVID-19 positive patient has died in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the death toll due to the disease to 84 in the Union Territory, officials said on Monday. The patient, hailing from south Kashmir's Pulwama district, was suffering from bilateral pneumonia, hypertension and diabetes. He died at the SMHS hospital here on Sunday night, the officials said. "His COVID-19 test results came positive on Monday morning," they added. With this, the number of COVID-19-related fatalities has risen to 84 in the Union territory. MIJ RC

COVID-19 death toll rises to 84 in J&K

(Eds: Updating with death of another patient) Srinagar, Jun 22 () Two more COVID-19 positive patients died in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours, taking the death toll due to the disease in the union territory to 85, officials said on Monday. A 65-year-old man, hailing from Pulwama district of south Kashmir, was suffering from bilateral pneumonia, hypertension and diabetes. He died at SMHS hospital on Sunday night, they said. "His COVID-19 test results came back positive this morning," they added. The second patient, a 58-year-old man from Anantnag district's Kokernag area, died this afternoon at Chest Diseases Hospital, according to the officials. They said he had been shifted to the hospital from Government Medical College, Anantnag on June 19 after he tested positive for COVID-19. With these two deaths, the number of fatalities due to COVID-19 has risen to 85 in Jammu and Kashmir, the officials said. MIJ DIV DIV

J-K records two more COVID deaths, toll rises to 85

(Eds: Updates death toll) Srinagar, Jun 20 () Five more COVID-19 patients died in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the number of fatalities due to the virus in the Union Territory to 80, officials said on Saturday. A 55-year-old coronavirus positive woman from Tujan area of south Kashmir's Pulwama district died at SKIMS hospital at 6:45 am on Saturday, the officials said. The patient was referred from SMHS as a case of meningioma with obstructive sleep apnea on Tuesday, they said. They said the cause of the death was cardiopulmonary arrest. A 40-year-old woman from Safa Kadal area of the city here passed away at Chest Diseases hospital on Saturday, the officials said. The woman with underlying heart ailment and diabetes was referred to the facility from SMHS hospital on June 14 after testing positive for the coronavirus, they said. An 80-year-old man from Shopian who had tested positive for COVID-19 died at SMHS hospital on late Friday night, the officials said. The fourth fatality was of a 65-year-old man from Budgam who passed away at SKIMS, they said. The patient was admitted to the hospital on Friday with bilateral community acquired pneumonia, the officials added. The patient's sample was taken on Friday and it returned as positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, the officials said, adding, he died of cardiopulmonary arrest in the afternoon. An 80-year-old woman from Kulgam died at SMHS hospital on Saturday, they said. The officials said the woman was admitted to the hospital on June 18 with chest and kidney-related ailments and tested positive for the coronavirus. SSB CK

COVID-19 death toll touches 80 in J-K with 5 more fatalities

Srinagar, July 3 () The total number of COVID-19 cases in Jammu and Kashmir crossed the 8,000-mark on Friday with 170 fresh infections, while the death toll in the Union Territory reached 119 following the demise of four patients, officials said. The four fatalities were reported from Kashmir, they said. This has taken the death toll due to COVID-19 to 119 in the UT. Of these, 14 belonged to Jammu province and 105 were from Kashmir division. Meanwhile, 170 new cases were detected in Jammu and Kashmir during the past 24 hours. Forty-two of these new cases were from Jammu region and 128 people were from the valley, the officials said. At present, there are 2,825 active cases in the Union Territory, while 5,075 patients have recovered from the infection. The cases detected on Friday included 57 people who had returned to the UT recently, the officials said. They said Srinagar district in central Kashmir recorded a maximum of 41 new cases, followed by 24 in Kupwara district. Three districts -- Pulwama, Poonch and Reasi -- did not have any fresh cases detected in the past 24 hours. With 170 fresh cases, the total number of infected persons in Jammu and Kashmir rose to 8,019. "Of these, 6,327 are in Kashmir, while 1,692 are in the Jammu region," the officials said. SSB MIJ SNE

J-K's COVID-19 tally crosses 8,000-mark; death toll reaches 119

Jammu, Jun 30 () An 85-year-old coronavirus positive woman died at Government Medical College (GMC) hospital here on Tuesday, raising the toll related to COVID-19 to 96 in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said. The death of the octogenarian from the coronavirus is the 12th in Jammu region and the first from Kathua, her home district, they said. The officials said the patient was suffering from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and was on a ventilator in the isolation ward since her admission to the GMC Hospital Jammu on June 25. Hailing from Basohli village, the patient had tested positive for COVID-19 during treatment at a dedicated facility in Kathua town. She was referred to GMC hospital Jammu, where she breathed her last this morning, they said. Of the total coronavirus-related deaths in the UT, 84 are in the Kashmir Valley. Jammu and Kashmir has recorded a total of 7,237 Coronavirus cases – 5,658 in Kashmir and 1,579 in Jammu region -- till Monday evening. While 4,585 people, including 3,449 in Kashmir, have recovered from the infection, there are still 2,557 active cases, including 432 in the Jammu region. Among the earlier 11 COVID-related deaths in Jammu region, Jammu district saw a maximum of seven fatalities, while one each coronavirus positive person died in Udhampur, Doda, Rajouri and Poonch districts. The Kashmir Valley, on the other hand, had recorded 84 coronavirus deaths. Srinagar accounts for the maximum COVID-19 deaths in Kashmir with 22 fatalities, followed by Baramulla (15), Kulgam (13), Shopian (11), Budgam (seven), Anantnag (six), Kupwara (five), Pulwama (four) and Bandipora (one). TAS AB CK

12th coronavirus-linked fatality in Jammu, toll rises to 96 in J-K

<ul><li>An improvised explosive device kills 34 security personnel in Pulwama, Kashmir </li><li>Prime Minister Narendra Modi calls the attack ‘dastardly’ </li><li>It is the deadliest terrorist attacks seen in the troubled valley in recent years</li></ul>The Indian government has issued a stern warning in response to the militant attack that has killed at least 42 Indian security personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama district. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the attack in a tweet along with other leading ministers of his cabinet. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 "The attack ... is despicable. I strongly condemn this dastardly attack. The sacrifices of our brave security personnel shall not go in vain. The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the families of the brave martyrs," Modi tweeted. Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba is said to be rushing to Srinagar for a high-level security meeting on Friday, reported IANS. "Today's dastardly attack ... is extremely painful and disturbing. I bow to each and every CRPF jawan who has sacrificed his life in service to the nation," India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh said. Union Minister Arun Jaitley called the attack an act of “cowardice: while warning that “terrorists will be given an unforgettable lesson for their heinous act.” 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 The Pulwana attack is the worst since militancy erupted in 1989. On Thursday afternoon, a suicide bomber reportedly rammed an SUV packed with explosives into a bus carrying CRPF security personnel, killing at least 42 and injuring many others. The bus was part of a 78-vehicle convoy that was travelling on the the Srinagar-Jammu highway in Pulwama district. The Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Moahammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the bloodbath and released a video clip of the suicide bomber which it claimed was shot before the young man carried out the audacious attack in Lethpora, about 30 km from here. The group said one of its commanders, Adil Ahmad Dar, was the suicide bomber. Police sources and other officials told IANS the suicide bomber-driven SUV came along the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) bus when the 78-vehicle convoy carrying 2,547 security personnel was going from the transit camp in Jammu to Srinagar and rammed it into the bus around 3.15 p.m., triggering a deafening explosion. The first report spoke of eight deaths. But the death toll quickly mounted. The bus was said to be transporting 39 troopers. CRPF officials told IANS the bus was the main target of the militants and was destroyed fully while another CRPF vehicle was partly damaged. "It is difficult to believe how anyone in the bus could have survived," said a police officer. WIih IANS See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/militant-attack-in-kashmir-on-crpf-convoy/articleshow/67994946.cms">34 security personnel killed in Kashmir in major militant attack: Reports</a>

India vows an ‘unforgettable lesson’ for the terrorists who killed 42 troopers

Jammu, Apr 17 () Fourteen people tested positive for the novel coronavirus in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, taking the number of cases to 328, while the death toll rose to five after a patient died of the disease in the Union Territory's Kashmir division, officials said.The number of active COVID-19 cases stands at 281, while 42 patients have recovered and five have died, according to the daily media bulletin on COVID-19.All the fresh cases were reported from the Kashmir division of the Union Territory, the officials said.Till date, 59,205 travellers and persons who came in contact with suspected cases have been put under surveillance, the bulletin said. It said 7,631 persons are in quarantine, including at facilities operated by government.Out of this, 281 are in hospital isolation, 260 in hospital quarantine and 27,366 under home surveillance, it said. Besides, 23,662 persons have completed their surveillance period.Four more COVID-19 patients have recovered and were discharged on Friday from the C D Hospital in Jammu. One COVID-19 patient died at the SKIMS in Bemina, the bulletin said. It said out of the 6,438 test results available, 6,110 samples have tested as negative till Friday.Providing a district-wise breakup, it said Srinagar has reported 78 cases, wherein 65 are active cases, 12 people have recovered and one has died; Bandipora has 75 cases with 63 active case, 11 recoveries and one death; Baramulla has 42 positive cases with 41 active cases and one death; Kupwara has 27 positive cases and all are active; Shopian has 17 positive cases out of which 15 are active cases and two have recovered. Ganderbal has reported 14 positive cases and they are all active; Budgam has 12 positive cases of which nine are active and three are recoveries; Kulgam has five cases which are all active; Pulwama has three positive cases where two are active and one has recovered; and Anantnag has one active case, it said.Jammu has 26 positive cases of which 22 are active and four have recovered; Udhampur has 20 positive cases of which 14 are active, five have recovered and one has died, while Rajouri has three positive cases and all have recovered, the bulletin said. Samba district has four positive cases which are all active and Kishtwar has one case which has recovered, it said.The bulletin said that the breakup represents districts from which the patients have been traced or are ordinarily residing. AB ANBANB

14 new COVID-19 cases in J-K; one more death reported from Kashmir

<ul><li>The attack took place at Lechpora, about 30 kilometres from Srinagar in Kashmir’s Pulwama district </li><li>The Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.</li></ul>In what could become another flashpoint in India-Pakistan relations, at least 42 security personnel in Kashmir have reportedly been killed in a blast on the Srinagar-Jammu highway. The attack took place at Lechpora, about 30 kilometres from Srinagar in Kashmir’s Pulwama district when a van packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying security personnel, IANS reported citing police sources. The incident took place when some 2,547 CRPF personnel were coming in a convoy of 78 vehicles from the transit camp in Jammu and headed to Srinagar. According to the IANS report, the death toll could rise as some of the injured personnel of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were in a serious condition. The Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack. In 2016, 18 Indian soldiers were killed in the Uri district, following which India conducted a ‘surgical strike’ in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir. With IANS

42 security personnel killed in Kashmir in major militant attack: Reports

New Delhi, Apr 18 () The Union Health Ministry on Saturday said the mortality rate for COVID-19 cases in India is around 3.3 per cent, while over 13 per cent patients have recovered so far.Addressing a daily media briefing about the novel coronavirus situation in the country, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said data indicates that of the people who died due the infection 14.4 per cent were between 0-45 years, 10.3 per cent between 45-60 years, 33.1 per cent between 60-75 years and 42.2 per cent were aged 75 and above."We saw that 75.3 per cent deaths were among those aged 60 or above and in 83 per cent cases there were co-morbidities," he said and reiterated that the elderly and those with co-morbid conditions are at high risk.By Saturday evening, the death toll due to coronavirus infection in India rose to 488, while the number of cases climbed to 14,792, according to data provided by the Centre. While the number of active COVID-19 cases stood at 12,289, as many as 2,014 people have been cured of the disease and discharged, and one had migrated, it said.About containment strategies implemented along with the lockdown, Agarwal said field-level actions are fetching positive results in several places."A positive trend has been noted in 47 districts of 23 states and Union Territories. Kodaggu in Karnataka is a new district added to this list along with Mahe in Puducherry that has not reported any fresh cases during the last 28 days," the official said.Twenty-two new districts in 12 states have not reported any fresh case in the last 14 days. These districts include Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur and Gopalganj in Bihar, Udaipur and Dholpur in Rajasthan, Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, Rohtak in Haryana and Vishakhaptnam in Andhra Pradesh, Agarwal said.He, however, stated that Patna in Bihar, Nadia in West Bengal and Panipat in Haryana where there were no COVID-19 positive cases in the first two weeks, have now reported incidents of the infection.Highlighting how continued efforts and cluster containment strategies have yielded positive results in Kerala's Kasargod district, the officer said out of 168 COVID-19 cases there, 113 have already been cured."Most importantly, due to proper clinical management, not even one infected person died. The remaining 55 active cases are being monitored well." Talking about the challenges the district faced, Agarwal said it had 15.38 per cent of abroad population.The third case reported in India in February with a travel history from China was contained quickly. After the return of people from West Asia on March 16 there was a sudden spurt in the number cases. Geographic position of the district also posed a challenge, he said."They did monitored home quarantined people using geo-spatial tracking, and implemented break-the-chain campaign to promote social distancing, used drones and incident commanders. More than 17,300 contacts were traced and quarantined, aggressive and quick testing was done, COVID Care Centres and ICU facilities were set up," Agarwal said.One major intervention was that all primary and secondary contacts and high-risk cases were quarantined in isolation centres, he said.Urging people to follow the lockdown and guidelines of social-distancing to contain the spread of the virus, the joint secretary in the health ministry said, "We have to be on continuous vigil to fight this battle." PLB NSD

COVID-19 mortality rate in India around 3.3 per cent: Health ministry

(Eds: With more details) New Delhi, Apr 18 () Of the 14,378 coronavirus infections reported in the country till Saturday morning, 4,291 cases in 23 states and Union Territories are linked to the Markaz event held in Delhi's Nizamuddin area in March, the Union health ministry said.By Saturday evening, the death toll due to coronavirus infection rose to 488, while the number of cases climbed to 14,792, according to data provided by the Centre.However, a tally of figures reported by various states as on Saturday evening showed 14,848 infections and at least 503 deaths. There has been a lag in the Union Health Ministry figures, compared to the number of deaths announced by different states, which officials attribute to procedural delays in assigning the cases to individual states.At a daily media briefing about the COVID-19 situation in the country, Joint Secretary in the Health Ministry Lav Agarwal said most of the Markaz event-related cases have been found in states with high burden of the disease, such as Tamil Nadu (84 per cent), Telengana (79 per cent), Delhi (63 per cent), Uttar Pradesh (59 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (61 per cent)."A total of 4,291 COVID-19 cases or 29.8 per cent of the 14,378 coronavirus infections reported till Saturday morning are linked to the Tablighi Jamaat congregation," he said.The health ministry official also said in some states which have reported fewer COVID-19 infections, also had cases with links to the Markaz event.The only coronavirus case reported in Arunachal Pradesh till now is related to the Markaz event. Similarly, 32 of the 35 cases reported in Assam and 10 out of 12 cases from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are linked to the same congregation, he said."The reason I drew your attention to this event is to highlight that even if one person does not follow the guidelines of social distancing and lockdown, the entire country has to suffer the consequences," Agarwal said.The mortality rate in COVID-19 cases in India has been around 3.3 per cent, he said, adding 14.4 per cent of the deaths are between 0-45 years, 10.3 per cent between 45- 60 years, 33.1 per cent between 60-75 years and 42.2 per cent fatalities among people aged 75 and above."We see that 75.3 per cent deaths have been among those aged 60 or above and in 83 per cent cases there were co-morbidities," Agarwal said and reiterated the elderly and those with co-morbid conditions are at high risk.About containment strategies implemented along with the lockdown, Agarwal said field-level actions are fetching positive results in several places."A positive trend has been noted in 47 districts of 23 states and UTs. Kodaggu in Karnataka is a new district added to this list along with Mahe in Puducherry that has not reported any fresh cases during the last 28 days," the official said.Twenty-two new districts in 12 states have not reported any fresh case in the last 14 days. These districts include Lakhisarai, Bhagalpur and Gopalganj in Bihar, Udaipur and Dholpur in Rajasthan, Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, Rohtak in Haryana and Vishakhaptnam in Andhra Pradesh, Agarwal said.He, however, stated that Patna in Bihar, Nadia in West Bengal and Panipat in Haryana where there were no COVID-19 positive cases in the first two weeks, have now reported incidents of the infection. "We have to be on continuous vigil to fight this battle," the official said.The joint secretary also said protocol for using rapid antibody test kits have been shared with the states by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)."Rapid antibody test kits are to be used in hotspots. It can also be used for surveillance and for epidemiological purposes in such areas where COVID-19 cases have not emerged so far."RT-PCR test is the gold standard for frontline test and antibody test cannot replace this. Utility of rapid antibody test is primarily for assessing prevalence of infection in a particular area," he said.According to the ICMR protocol, the official said, only those showing symptoms of influenza-like illness such as fever, cough and cold for a week or more in hotspot areas should be made to undergo rapid antibody test.Those found positive must be quarantined for at least for seven days and contact tracing should be initiated. Those who turn out negative should be in home quarantine for a week."RT-PCR test should be done to confirm COVID-19 if clinical suspicion is high," Agarwal said.Asked if ICMR was doing a randomised control trial to assess the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) in COVID-19 treatment, Head of Epidemiology and Communicable diseases at ICMR Dr Raman R Gangakhedkar said it is an observational study, not trial.Around 480 patients will be enrolled and it will go for eight weeks, he said.Dr Gangakhedkar said the ICMR has launched a study on the side-effects of HCQ using data from some health care workers who used the drug."The average age of the workers was 35 and the most visible side effects abdominal pain (10 per cent), nausea (6 per cent) and hypoglycemia (1.3 per cent)."Twenty-two per cent of these healthcare workers who took HCQ had diabetes or blood pressure, vascular or respiratory illnesses. They started taking the drug out of the fear of contracting the disease," he said.Dr Gangakhedkar said AIIMS is conducting studies to assess the prevention and healing impact of HCQ on COVID-19."In some places HCQ consumption is not that high. So it impacts the study design and collection of data. We are facing difficulty in finding a homogenous population," he said. PLB AG NSDNSD

Of 14,378 COVID-19 infections, 4,291 cases linked to Markaz event in Delhi: Health minister

<ul><li>On April 11, two constituencies from the state of Jammu &amp; Kashmir – Baramulla and Jammu – will go to polls. </li><li>For the state, which has been at the centre of terrorist attacks, violence by separatists, civil disobedience and protests, elections hold major significance. </li><li>The separatist mindset however continues to cloud the state’s democratic potential, directly or indirectly. </li></ul>Jammu and Kashmir, home to the world’s highest <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-41432568">battleground</a>, has only six seats in the Indian Parliament, but it is almost always at the centre of the country’s political discourse. On April 11, two constituencies – Baramulla and Jammu – will go to polls. Both Baramulla and Jammu are important constituencies with over 1.3 million and 1.8 million voters respectively. For the state, which has been at the centre of terrorist attacks, violence by separatists, civil disobedience and protests, and the major point of contention between India and Pakistan, elections hold major significance. In Baramulla, colleges are shut for 7 days to ensure peaceful polling, whereas high security is in place across the state so as to avoid any violence during the elections. While Kashmiri separatists have called for <a href="https://www.thestatesman.com/elections-2019/separatists-call-boycott-lok-sabha-elections-beginning-thursday-1502744485.html">boycott of polls</a>, parties like Peoples Democratic Party and J&amp;K National Conference, have come to <a href="https://www.asianage.com/india/all-india/280319/separatists-poll-boycott-call-may-fall-flat.html">realise</a> that the boycott of polls only works in the benefit of other major parties like <keyword id="14666" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="BJP">BJP</keyword> and the Indian National Congress. The separatist mindset however continues to cloud the state’s democratic potential, directly or indirectly. On February 14, Pulwama saw one of the worst terrorist attacks in the history of the state with the death toll rising to over 40. Post the terrorist attack in Pulwama, over 100 Kashmiri separatists were <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-india-kashmir/more-than-100-separatists-detained-in-kashmir-raids-in-pre-election-crackdown-idUSKCN1QC070">detained </a>by the J&amp;K so that there are no anti-election campaigns. India then retaliated with the Balakot air strike, where Indian Air Force planes crossed the de facto border in Kashmir. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured after the air strike by the Pakistani army, which further riled up the hostility between the two countries. Pakistan had then released the Wing Commander. But for the people of Kashmir, elections mean hopefully making way for an improvement in the situation in the state. Baramulla has been subject to multiple <a href="http://risingkashmir.com/news/baramulla-faces-developmental-challenges">developmental</a> challenges and the people blame the administration for the lack of progress. The voter turnout in the Panchayat (local administration) elections in Kashmir held in December 2018 saw an average voter <a href="https://scroll.in/article/905364/a-closer-look-voter-turnout-numbers-do-not-tell-the-whole-story-of-kashmirs-panchayat-elections">turnout </a>of 74%. The manifestos of the two major political parties – INC and the BJP, both give prominence to Kashmir. However, It will be an uphill task for the BJP because neither of the regional parties are friendly with the incumbent government at the centre. The state has been under President’s rule since December 2018 (which was declared after 6 months of Governor’s rule) and now, the Assembly elections have been reportedly pushed till June 2019. This was because of the fallout in the regional alliance between the central government’s ruling party BJP and the PDP. One of the major reasons behind the fallout between the two parties was the Kathua rape incident where an eight-year old girl was raped. Two senior BJP ministers, Lal Singh and Prakash Chander Ganga had then participated in a rally that supported of the accused in the case. Further, the BJP manifesto’s promise to revoke <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/bjp-manifesto-released-for-2019-lok-sabha-elections/articleshow/68774925.cms">the special status of J&amp;K and revoke Article 35-A, </a>which confers special rights on J&amp;K residents especially in the acquisition of property and eligibility for public sector jobs, will also be an overhang on the party’s chances in the valley. However, this is not the first time BJP has promised this. In 2014, the party had put the repealing of Article 370, which gives autonomous status to the state, in its manifesto. But it still managed to gain ground in the state elections held after that. The Congress party has said in its manifesto that the two acts will not be touched while the AFSPA and Disturbed Areas Act will be reviewed. The Armed Forces Special Powers Act, which gives the Army the power in disturbed areas, was implemented in Kashmir in 1990 and since then, has been a point of debate in the state. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lok-sabha-election-2019-for-jammu-and-kashmir/articleshow/68637078.cms">Lok Sabha Election 2019 candidate list for Jammu and Kashmir</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/bjp-manifesto-released-for-2019-lok-sabha-elections/articleshow/68774925.cms">Narendra Modi's election manifesto packs larger doles and a rosy narrative</a>

You Searched For "death toll in pulwama" and got 13 results

Gulmarg terror attack: Two soldiers succumb to injuries, toll rises to four

PTI

Indian TV channels get an advisory to report Pulwama attack with 'caution'

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COVID-19 death toll rises to 84 in J&K

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J-K records two more COVID deaths, toll rises to 85

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COVID-19 death toll touches 80 in J-K with 5 more fatalities

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J-K's COVID-19 tally crosses 8,000-mark; death toll reaches 119

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12th coronavirus-linked fatality in Jammu, toll rises to 96 in J-K

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India vows an ‘unforgettable lesson’ for the terrorists who killed 42 troopers

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14 new COVID-19 cases in J-K; one more death reported from Kashmir

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42 security personnel killed in Kashmir in major militant attack: Reports

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COVID-19 mortality rate in India around 3.3 per cent: Health ministry

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Of 14,378 COVID-19 infections, 4,291 cases linked to Markaz event in Delhi: Health minister

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Elections 2019: Democracy’s appeal is under test in the shadow of the world’s highest battleground

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