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Religious minorities are targeted in India after wave of assassinations

The US News reported according to Reuters, Indian security officials and residents said, small groups of militants armed with pistols have carried out a spate of targeted killings in Indian Kashmir, sowing fear among some minority communities.
At least 28 civilians have been killed by suspected militants this year in the Muslim-majority region, which has been wracked by an armed insurrection against New Delhi since the 1990s.
Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan but ruled in parts by the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Although most of those shot dead recently have been Muslims, the killing this week of a number of Hindus and a Sikh led police to say that religious minorities were now being targetted.
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Two teachers - one Hindu, one Sikh - who were shot dead inside a government school in the main city of Srinagar on Thursday.
Based on information recovered from the body of an insurgent commander killed last month, Indian authorities believe The Resistance Front (TRF) militant group is targetting political workers and civilians, a senior police official told Reuters.
In a statement on social media this week, TRF said it was not targeting people on the basis of their religion but those working for Indian authorities. Reuters could not immediately verify the authenticity of the statement.
The official said, declining to be named: "The (cells) are small and at least three dozen militants with pistols are operating in Kashmir with a main focus on Srinagar."
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Indian police have described the TRF as a front for Pakistan-based militant organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen. Pakistan has said it only provides moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.
The TRF emerged in the wake of the Indian government's move to split the former state of Jammu and Kashmir into two federally-administered regions in August 2019.
Accompanied by a harsh lockdown and strict communications curbs, the decision was widely unpopular in the Kashmir valley and may have pushed more young people to take up arms, a security official said.
"They were desperate and now they have been provided small arms including pistols and grenades," the official said, declining to be named.
Vijay Kumar, Kashmir Valley's police chief, said militant groups had changed their strategy in response to a crackdown by security forces, but local authorities were already pursuing several leads into the recent spate of killings.
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But members of the Hindu Kashmiri Pandit community, some of whom returned to the Kashmir valley after leaving during the early years of militancy, were unnerved by the violence.
"There is lot of fear among the community members and we are afraid of coming out of our homes," a Kashmiri Pandit living in the northern district of Baramulla told Reuters.
The senior police official said the recent killings of members of minority communities were aimed at preventing the return of the Kashmiri Pandits.
Omar Abdullah, a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, appealed to minority community members not to flee, urging the local administration to provide better security.
"I believe these attacks are aimed to drive a wedge between the communities and to push them out of Kashmir," Abdullah said, "We can't let that happen."
Source: usnews
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Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”
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