World News

In the backdrop of the unrest in the Valley over the rape and murder of two young women in South Kashmir's Shopian district, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram will chair a high-level meeting of the Unified Command Council in Srinagar on Thursday.

While Chidambaram, in his two-day visit, is expected to review the overall security situation in JandK, sources say that the rape and killing of two women and the aftermath of the incident will be on top of his agenda. Thursday's meeting will be attended by CM Omar Abdullah as well as top officers from the Police, CRPF, Army and various intelligence agencies. Police officials will be briefing the Home Minister about the incident and steps taken by the administration to trace the persons involved in the brutal murders.

Sources said Chidambaram had initially planned to also go to Shopian, but this visit appears to have been cancelled. "We don't have any information about the Home Minister's visit to the town," said a senior district official.