Srinagar, Jan. 23 : In an encounter with a self-styled commander of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and another militant were shot dead by army troops in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

The Defence spokesperson said that the security forces launched a search operation in Batyas forest belt of Gandoh tehsil following a lead on some ongoing militant activities n the area.

Two Hizbul militants were killed in the intense gun battle. They terrorists were identified as Zahoor Khanday and Sajad Hussain. Khanday was a self styled tehsil commander of Hizbul Muzahideen operating in Doda since 2006 whereas Hussain was active since

Srinagar, Jan 21 : A resident of Srinagar has succeeded in growing oranges in the backyard of his house.

Kashmir''s climate is not suited for cultivating oranges as the temperatures in the valley fall to sub-zero levels during winter with frost being common to which oranges are sensitive.

However, Abdur Rashid Badyari has succeeded in growing the lone orange tree in Srinagar.

Badyari has a hobby of planting a variety of plants since his childhood days but never did he ever expect that he would be able to grown orange tree.

Rajouri, Jan 20 : Trout fish cultivation has gained fillip in Jammu and Kashmir''s Rajouri District as the State Fisheries Department is successfully harnessing the potential to produce trout, a valuable commercial fish.

Trout, both brown and the rainbow species, is a coldwater fish found aplenty in the Beas, Sutlej and Ravi rivers flowing in from the upper reaches of the Himalayan range.

In 1984, a trout fish-farming project was set up at Kokernag, 79 kilometres south of Srinagar with assistance of the European Economic Community (EEC).

Srinagar, Jan 19 : The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, the lone road

Srinagar, Jan. 18 : Heavy snowfall blocked traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on Sunday as the Kashmir valley received the first snowfall of the season.

Srinagar shivered as temperature dipped and the region received a fresh spell of snowfall to the delight of the locals expecting tourists.

The upper reaches of the valley experienced heavy snowfall pushing the temperature down. With Srinagar city witnessing a freezing temperature, the strategic
300-kilometre-long National Highway 1-A was blocked leading to disruption of traffic.

Srinagar, Jan. 18 : The Jammu and Kashmir Government has set up its winter secretariat in Srinagar, providing major relief for the local populace.

The shift took place from Jammu and it was begun from January 13.

State Government ministers have been directed to take turns to stay in Srinagar for fifteen days at a stretch to address the day-to-day problems of the people.