January
Jan. 1: Police arrest four alleged Jaish-e-Mohammad associates in Awantipora, Pulwama, accusing them of logistics support and arms movement.
Jan. 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Sonamarg tunnel project (Z-Morh), pitching all-weather access to Sonamarg and the route toward Ladakh as a strategic and tourism boost.
Jan. 19: An encounter breaks out in Sopore, Baramulla; separately, security forces recover an old mortar shell near the International Border in Samba.
Jan. 20: A Rashtriya Rifles soldier is killed in the Sopore gunfight; security forces also recover and defuse an improvised explosive device in Poonch.
February
Feb. 1: Security forces launch multiple anti-militancy operations across Rajouri and Poonch, including Manjakote and other areas along the Pir Panjal belt.
Feb. 12: SATP records a ceasefire violation along the Line of Control in Poonch, part of a pattern of intermittent cross-border firing.
March
Mar. 7: The J&K government presents its 2025-26 budget, stressing capital expenditure and infrastructure-led growth while opposition and civil society press for timelines on political promises.
Mar. 27: A major gunfight in Kathua leaves four policemen and two alleged PAFF militants dead; several others are injured, including a deputy superintendent of police and a soldier.
April
Apr. 20: A cloudburst triggers flash floods and landslides in Ramban, killing at least three and forcing highway closures and rescues.
Apr. 22: Gunmen attack tourists in Baisaran Valley near Pahalgam, killing 26 civilians in the year’s deadliest incident; a large manhunt and sweeping security clampdown follow.
Apr. 25–30: Ceasefire violations are recorded across multiple nights along the Line of Control, with Indian forces reporting retaliatory fire and heightened alertness.
May
May 7–8: India strikes targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered areas in the wake of the Pahalgam massacre, triggering the sharpest India-Pakistan escalation in years.
May 11: The State Investigation Agency carries out coordinated searches at multiple locations, citing heightened surveillance of sleeper cells and overground worker networks.
June
Jun. 6: Modi inaugurates the Kashmir rail link, including the Chenab bridge and new Vande Bharat services, billed as the first rail connection linking the Valley with India’s plains and a major logistics shift for travel and commerce.
Jun. (through the month): Counter-militancy operations continue alongside intensified checkpoints and intelligence sweeps in parts of Jammu and the Valley.
July
Jul. 29: The Union home minister says “Operation Mahadev” kills the three militants identified by the government as involved in the Pahalgam attack, framing it as closure to the April massacre case.
Jul. (late): Governance criticism grows inside and outside the ruling National Conference over delays on detainees, statehood, jobs and civil liberties.
August
Aug. 5: The J&K home department issues an order banning circulation of 25 books, alleging they promote secessionism and radicalisation; police raids and seizures follow, sparking a censorship backlash.
Aug. 14: A cloudburst triggers a deadly flash flood in Kishtwar along the Machail Mata pilgrimage route, with heavy casualties and large-scale rescue operations.
Aug. 30: Landslides and a cloudburst kill people in Reasi and Ramban, highlighting continuing monsoon vulnerability.
September
Sept. 20–21: Yasin Malik files an affidavit in the Delhi High Court during proceedings tied to the National Investigation Agency’s bid to enhance his sentence, triggering political and media shockwaves in Kashmir and beyond.
Sept. (through the month): Recruitment notifications and category-wise allocations deepen anger among open merit aspirants, keeping the reservation controversy on the boil.
October
Oct. (early): Pressure mounts on the Omar Abdullah government as student groups and political rivals demand a deadline for “rationalisation” of reservation rules and implementation clarity.
Oct. (late): Security agencies continue forest and border belt operations ahead of winter, with infiltration routes and Jammu’s higher-threat districts a recurring focus.
November
Nov. 14: PDP’s Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi, winner of the Budgam Assembly by-election, with the ruling party suffering a high-profile setback.
Nov. 24: UN experts express alarm over alleged human rights violations in Indian counter-terrorism actions after the Pahalgam attack, urging adherence to international law while condemning the April massacre.
Nov. (late): Delhi High Court hearings in the Yasin Malik matter continue to draw attention as the NIA presses its case and the court calendar moves toward early 2026.
December
Dec. 3: The J&K cabinet recommends changes billed as “rationalisation” of reservation, with open merit aspirants and parts of the ruling coalition warning of unrest if recruitment proceeds without reforms.
Dec. 22: The cabinet clears a policy to allot five-marla plots to eligible families affected by floods and landslides, and approves financial support measures for cooperative banks.
Dec. 26: District administrations expand suspensions of virtual private network services across parts of Jammu division, citing security concerns.
Dec. 26: Mirwaiz Umar Farooq removes the “Hurriyat chairman” designation from his X profile, saying authorities force the change, fuelling debate over shrinking separatist political space.
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