The Kashmir Pulse

SHOPIAN — The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday morning confirmed that government forces engaged in a gunfight with militants in Chotigam area of Shopian district.

The joint operation involves Shopian Police, Army personnel, and CRPF forces as they work collaboratively to handle the situation.

Specific details regarding the identity of the militants, who are trapped in the area, were not immediately disclosed by the authorities.

The J&K Police's Twitter handle, Kashmir Zone Police, was the first to make the announcement about the ongoing operation. They stated, "#Encounter has started at Chotigam area of #Shopian district. Shopian Police, Army & CRPF are on the job. Further details shall follow."

It is pertinent to mention that security in the region has been a pressing concern, and encounters between security forces and militant elements have occurred sporadically in various parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

SRINAGAR — Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD), an infectious viral disease of cattle continues to infect more cattle due to which the farmers are very much worried.

The residents of Chotigam Shopian told the news agency KNO that around 35 cows have been affected in the last three days and two have already died but no official has visited the area. They requested higher ups to look into the matter at an earliest so that cattle can be treated on time.

Farmers said that though the mortality rate of LSD is not so high, animals infected with this disease are unable to produce enough milk even after they are cured of infection and their economy is getting badly affected.

They said that there are lakhs of families whose livelihood is dependent on cattle rearing and other related work but this disease has badly affected them. Farmers said that some of them have lost their cattle on which they were dependent and the government must look into it and compensate.

Meanwhile, an official of the Animal Husbandry Department Shopian said that almost every village of the district is affected due to the disease and due to staff shortage, it is impossible to reach every farmer. He said that they are working day and night to reach everyone.

On the other hand, Chief Animal Husbandry Officer Shopian Altaf Hussian Masoodi told KNO that over 250 cattle have been affected due to the disease in the district so far and among them 20 have died. He said that a team will be deputed to Chotigam area on Saturday.

It is in place to mention here that officials said that there is neither evidence of the transmission of the disease in humans nor it has any effect on milk. It is a viral disease and after boiling it (milk), it can be used.

Lumpy Skin Disease is a viral skin disease transmitted by vectors affecting cattle and buffaloes only. "This disease is not transmitted from animals to humans," they said.

It is a viral disease of cattle and buffalo spread through the bite of mosquitoes or parasites. “The disease affects skin of the infected animal through creating large size lesion on body, the locals said, adding that the consumption of animal’s meat or milk does not transmit the infection to humans.

SHOPIAN — In a span of 102 days, militants targeted the Kashmiri Pandit (KP) community again by killing a KP farmer and leaving his brother injured. The death, however, displayed communal harmony yet again as a large number of Muslims took part in the last rites of the slain KP member in Chotigam, Shopian district of south Kashmir.

Kashmiri Pandits living in Chotigam, Shopian who didn't leave Kashmir during the 90s were attacked again, resulting in the on-the-spot death of Sunil Kumar Bhat while as injuries to Petamber Nath Bhat.

On Tuesday, as news of the attack on Kashmir Pandits spread, Muslims of the locality rushed to the spot to take Pintoo to hospital and to console other pandits living there.

Three Pandits families comprising around 16 family members are living in this village who didn’t migrate during the 1990s.

Sabzar Ahmad, a neighbour of Sunil and Pintoo, said that all arrangements for the last rites of Sunil were made by Muslims who were also consoling Pandits living here.

Eyewitnesses, as per the news agency KNO, said that Muslims made all arrangements for last rites and were seen raising slogans in favour of unity besides an end to innocent killings.

“We have always lived here peacefully and we share our grief and celebrations for decades,” said a Pandit living in Chotigam. He said the back-to-back attacks in the last four months have definitely raised the level of fear among them yet again bringing back the gory memories of the 90s.

He said that guards were deployed here again in April but how can they save them every time as “we can't restrict our movement to our residence only as we have to go to our land, orchards or to do any work to earn livelihood otherwise we will die of starvation.”

Pandits living there said that they were guarded by government forces till 2016, however, it was taken off during the Burhan agitation and since then, they were offered security several times but declined as they weren't feeling any threat till April this year.

“But how guards deployed there can provide us security as we have to go to market, farmland and students have to go to school every day,” they said.

SRINAGAR — Suspected militants shot dead a minority community member while his brother was injured in Chotigam area of south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday, officials said.

Official sources, as per news agency GNS, said that militants shot dead a minority community member identified as Sunil Kumar son of Arjun Nath while as his brother identified as Pintu Kumar was injured.

Pintu has been immediately shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Meanwhile, the whole area has been cordoned off to nab the attackers.