Ceasefire violation: Pak troops pound 14 Indian posts, civilian areas in J&K

October 19, 2013

Jammu, Oct 19: Pakistani troops opened fire and pounded 14 forward Indian posts and civilian areas along the Jammu frontier with mortar shells overnight, leaving two BSF jawans injured.

There was firing and shelling of mortar bombs on 14 forward posts and civilians areas in RS Pura, Pargwal, Samba, Hiranagar and Jagnockah border belts along the internation border (IB) in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts during the night, police officials said on Saturday.

Pakistani troops fired 82mm mortars which landed in civilian areas in R S Pura, triggering panic among border dwellers, they said.

In Nikowal border belt, two BSF jawans sustained minor splinter injuries, they said.

BSF troops guarding the borderline with Pakistan, took positions and retaliated effectively resulting in exchanges which stopped this morning, they said.

Nine persons, including five civilians have been injured in Pakistan firing and shelling in the past 24 hours.

In the backdrop of the increased ceasefire violations by Pakistan, Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde is visiting forward areas along the IB to review the security situation on October 22.

Pakistan Rangers had on Friday resorted to unprovoked firing on 10 BoPs and forward civilian areas along IB in R S Pura, Pargwal, Samba areas of Jammu and Samba districts.In Nikowal BoP, two BSF constables Gangan Thakur and Hasda were injured.

Pakistani troops have been repeatedly violating the ceasefire.

On October 17, Pakistan army had pounded civilian areas along IB in Najwal-Pargwal belt of Jammu resulting in injuries to five persons, including 3 children, in Jammu district, prompting retaliation from Indian troops.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah had requested the government to take up the ceasefire violation issue firmly with Pakistan.

"It is not clear who is behind this and with what motive this is being done. Some days back our Prime Minister met the Pakistani PM in New York. They talked about ceasefire violations and it was decided that the army DGMOs of both countries should talk and find a way out," he had said.

Over 130 ceasefire violations have been reported in 2013, the highest in the past 8 years.

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IndiGo meltdown: 200 flights cancelled; Bengaluru hit hard with 42 cancellations

News Network

December 3,2025

IndiGo, India’s largest airline, is battling one of its worst operational disruptions in recent years, with hundreds of delays and cancellations throwing domestic travel into chaos.

Government data on Tuesday showed its on-time performance plunging to 35%, an unusual dip for a carrier long associated with punctuality.

By Wednesday afternoon, airports in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad had collectively reported close to 200 cancellations, stranding travellers across the country.

Crew Shortage After New Duty Norms

A major trigger behind the meltdown is a severe crew shortage, especially among pilots, following the rollout of revised Flight Duty Time Limitation (FDTL) norms last month.

The rules mandate longer rest hours and more humane rosters — a shift IndiGo has struggled to incorporate across its vast network.

Sources said several flights were grounded due to lack of cabin crew, while some delays stretched upwards of eight hours.

With IndiGo controlling over 60% of India’s domestic aviation market, the ripple effect has impacted airports nationwide.

IndiGo Issues Apology, Lists “Compounding Factors”

In a statement, IndiGo acknowledged the large-scale disruption:

“We sincerely apologise to customers. A series of unforeseen operational challenges — technology glitches, winter schedule changes, adverse weather, system congestion and updated FDTL norms — created a compounding impact that could not have been anticipated.”

To stabilise operations, the airline has begun calibrated schedule adjustments for the next 48 hours, aiming to restore punctuality. Affected passengers are being offered refunds or alternate travel arrangements, IndiGo said.

What the FDTL Rules Require

The FDTL norms, designed to reduce pilot fatigue, cap duty and flying hours as follows:
•   Maximum 8 hours of flying per day
•   35 hours per week
•   125 hours per month
•   1,000 hours per year

Crew must also receive rest equalling twice the flight duration, with a minimum 10-hour rest period in any 24-hour window.

The DGCA introduced these limits to enhance flight safety.

Hyderabad: 33 Flights Cancelled, Long Queues Reported

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport saw heavy early-morning crowds as 33 IndiGo flights (arrivals and departures) were cancelled.

The airport clarified on X that operations were normal, advising passengers to contact IndiGo directly for latest flight status.

Cancellations included flights to and from Visakhapatnam, Goa, Ahmedabad, Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Madurai, Hubli, Bhopal and Bhubaneswar.

Bengaluru: 42 Flights Disrupted

Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport recorded 42 cancellations — 22 arrivals and 20 departures — affecting routes to Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Passengers Vent on Social Media

Irate travellers took to X to share their experiences. One passenger stranded in Hyderabad wrote: “I have been here since 3 a.m. and missed an important meeting.”

Another said: “My flight was pushed from 1:55 PM to 2:55 PM and now 4:35 PM. I was informed only three minutes before entering the airport.”

Delhi Airport Hit by Tech Glitch

At Delhi Airport, the disruption deepened due to a slowdown in the Amadeus system — used for reservations, check-ins and departure control.

The technical issue led to longer queues and sluggish processing, adding to delays already worsened by staff shortages.

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