SRINAGAR: Security forces busted a militant hideout and recovered war like stores in the north Kashmir district of Baramulla, official sources said.

They said Rashtriya Rifles (RR) and Special Operation Group (SOG) of State police launched a joint operation today following a tip-off that militants had stored some arms and ammunition in a hideout to be used for causing disturbances in north Kashmir.

Security forces finally unearthed a hideout and recovered large cache of arms and amnmnition, including AK rifles, pistols, grenades, wireless sets and 250 rounds of ammunition. However, no one was arrested, they said. (AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR :  A person who allegedly extorted money from locals and sarpanches posing as a militant was arrested in Pulawama district in Kashmir, police said today.
Aijaz Ahmad Shah was arrested by a joint team of police, Army and CRPF last evening in village Chakora on charges of extorting money using a toy pistol and posing as a militant, a police spokesman said.
He said police had received information that a person posing as a militant was threatening panches, sarpanches and other civilians and was extorting money from them.
Acting on a tip-off, police along with Army and CRPF arrested Shah and recovered a toy pistol, a tear smoke grenade, cash worth Rs 50,000 and a mobile phone from his possession, the spokesman said.
He confessed to extorting money, the spokesman said.
A case had been registered and investigations were on, he said. *(AGENCIES)

SRINAGAR: Despite rain last night, pilgrimage was going on smoothly to holy Amarnath cave shrine in South Kashmir Himalayas, where so far 3.40 lakh have darshan of the self-made Ice-Shivlingam since the commencement of the 45-day-long yatra from June 28.
There was rain last night but the weather is pleasent today and pilgrimage was going on smoothly, a yatra official said. They said that fresh batches of pilgrims, including women and sadhus left Baltal and Nunwan Pahalgam base camps for the holy cave early this morning.
Pilgrims, who left Baltal will reach the cave shrine this afternoon, they said, adding that majority of them will start return journey after the darshan at the shrine. However, those, who had night halt after darshan till last evening, have also started their return journey to base camp this morning. However, pilgrims, who left Nunwan Pahalgam base camp this morning, will have night halt at Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on the traditional route. They said pilgrims, who had night halt at different halting stations on traditional route, also started their journey towards the cave shrine.
However, those pilgrims who had reached Panjterni till last evening, reached the cave shrine this morning and paid obeisance. A yatra official said 4,974 pilgrims paid obeisance at the Holy Cave yesterday.
With this, including those who had paid obeisance today, 3.40 lakh pilgrims have paid obeisance at the Holy Cave since the commencement of the annual Yatra.
(AGENCIES)