Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor (L-G) Manoj Sinha said on Saturday that the security forces have devised a new strategy to deal with the emerging terrorist threat and assured that every drop of innocent blood spilled by terrorists will be avenged.

L-G Sinha made the remarks while addressing the passing out parade of 629 BSF recruits at the Humhama training centre in Budgam district.

He said that the attack on innocent workers in Gagangir and the one in Baramulla district where army soldiers were killed is "highly condemnable".

"India always wants peace with its neighbours, but unfortunately we have a neighbour that always tries to disturb peace in India despite facing ultimate poverty back home," the L-G.

Three people died of electrocution on the waterlogged streets of West Bengal in three different parts of the state since Friday night.

This takes the total number of Cyclone Dana-related casualties in West Bengal to four since Friday, after the cyclone made its landfall in Odisha in the wee hours.

Sources from the state administration said that of the four deaths, three were caused by electrocution in the water-logged streets and one person died after getting tapped in a drain.

Two of the four deaths have been reported from South 24 Parganas district and one each from Kolkata and the city-adjacent Howrah district.

Meanwhile, the state administration has heaved a sigh of relief as the torrential rain that continued in several pockets in South Bengal almost the entire Friday started receding from midnight and has become minimum since Saturday morning.

The apprehensions of Cyclone Dana playing havoc in the coastal Sundarbans area scattered over South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas districts of West Bengal was allayed to a great extent because of the mangrove belt barrier there which acted as a vital speed breaker and mitigated the impact.

Experts pointed out that the mangrove belt barrier enabled wind reduction, just minimising the impact of the cyclone and also acted as a “storm surge protection” meaning absorption of the wave energy, thus shielding the coastal communities there.

At the same time, according to experts, the mangrove belt barrier acted as the “shoreline stabiliser” where roots holding soil in place prevented erosion.

The barrier also resulted in “carbon sequestration” resulting in absorption of carbon dioxide thus mitigating climate change.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has approved 'Gujarat Inland Vessels Registration, Survey, and Operation Rules 2024', reaffirming the state government's commitment to improving safety in boating and water sports activities.

These regulations were designed to ensure the safety of smaller vessels.

The rules would apply to pleasure crafts, boats, and vessels measuring less than 10 metres long.

The draft of these rules was prepared in June 2024 and made available for public feedback, allowing citizens to voice their objections and suggestions.

Following a thorough feedback review, the Chief Minister has directed the Port and Transport Department to finalise the rules. Individuals wishing to register vessels under the new regulations must submit applications to their respective district authorities.

Key features of the new rules were: periodic Inspections, enforcement measures and operator responsibilities.

One soldier injured in a terrorist attack on an Army vehicle on Thursday in Botapathri area of J&K’s Gulmarg succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on Friday, taking the toll in the terrorist attack to five.

Officials said a soldier injured in Thursday’s terrorist attack on a vehicle of Rashtriya Rifles (RR) in Nagin Chowk of Botapathri area of Gulmarg, succumbed in the hospital on Friday.

In view of the recent attacks in J&K, Lieutenant Governor (LG), Manoj Sinha chaired a Unified Headquarters Meeting (UHQ) here on Thursday to review the security situation in the UT.

Except for torrential rain in coastal districts and adjoining areas in West Bengal, Cyclone Dana's impact on the state has been nominal.

No major devastation was reported from the two coastal districts of East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas, which the weather office had predicted would be the worst hit in the state.

Torrential rain, which began late Thursday night in different districts of South Bengal including the state capital of Kolkata, was continuing.

As per predictions of the Regional Meteorological Office in Kolkata, heavy showers will continue in the districts of South Bengal throughout the day and the intensity of the rainfall is expected to recede in the evening.

According to state administration, the maximum impact during the landfall process was reported from coastal Sundarbans areas like Namkhana, Sagar Islands and Patharpratima, where several trees were uprooted because of heavy wind. Trident lampposts, especially near the 'Kapil Muni Ashram' in Sagar Island, too were severely damaged.

As cyclonic storm Dana made landfall in Odisha, it is showing its impact in the neighbouring states of Bihar and Jharkhand, where Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued alerts for heavy rain and strong winds.

Dana touched down on the northern coast of Odisha at 5:30 a.m. on October 25, affecting areas about 20 km north-northwest of Dhamara and 40 km from Hablikhati Nature Camp near Bhitarkanika.

As Dana moves inward, a change in the weather is already noticeable across Bihar, with cloud cover in more than 34 districts and temperatures dropping by 1-6 degrees Celsius.

Tension erupted in Bhilwara city of Rajasthan after some miscreants stabbed a Councillor's husband for bursting crackers in front of his shop.

The incident was reported in Bhilwara city's Bhimganj police station area when around 30-40 people attacked the Councillor's husband after a fight late on Thursday night.

They entered the tea shop and stabbed him and vandalised the shop.

Three people including the Councillor's husband were injured in the stabbing.

Following the stabbing an angry crowd protested at Mangala Chowk till 4 A.M. on Friday morning demanding the arrest of the accused.

A policeman was injured on Thursday when a grenade went off accidentally in Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Officials said the policeman was injured when a grenade went off accidentally in the ‘Malkhana’ of the court complex in the town.

“At around 1.05 p.m., a grenade went off accidentally in the ‘Malkhana’ of court complex in Baramulla town. The injured policeman was on duty when the accident happened. People are advised not to pay any heed to rumours. The situation in the town is completely under control,” the officials said.

Malkhana is the judicial storeroom where seized items are kept in custody till the matter pertaining to such items is decided by the court.

Rumour mongers have become active of late because of the disturbing dastardly attack by terrorists on unarmed, innocent civilian workers of APCO infrastructure company in the Gagangir area of the Ganderbal district on Sunday.

Cyclone Dana is expected to severely impact the coastal regions of Odisha and West Bengal. In response, the Indian Navy has launched extensive preparations for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations.

The Eastern Naval Command has activated its disaster response mechanism in coordination with naval officers stationed in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and West Bengal. Two ships from the Eastern Fleet have been deployed with essential supplies, including rescue and diving teams, to support relief efforts by sea.

The Indian Navy remains on high alert, closely monitoring the situation, and has assured full support to those affected by the cyclone.

The Ministry of Defence has also stated that medical aid will be provided upon request from state authorities. For this, the Navy is in coordination with units such as Base Victualling Yard (BVY), Material Organisation, and Naval Hospital INHS Kalyani.