New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) These are the top stories from the northern region at 4.30 pm

These are the top stories from the northern region at 4.30 pm SRINAGAR DES5 JK-PM-SECURITY Srinagar: Security has been beefed up across Kashmir ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on February 3, officials said here on Friday. SRINAGAR DES3 JK-LD WOMAN-VIDEO Srinagar: A 25-year-old woman in Jammu and Kashmir was shot dead at point blank range by militants, who made a video of the incident and circulated it on social media, police said Friday.

SRINAGAR DEL18 JK-LD ENCOUNTER Srinagar: Two Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Friday, police said. BANDA NRG5 UP-EXPLOSION Banda (UP): Four people were killed and one person was injured in an explosion at a firecracker factory here, police said on Friday.

JAMMU NRG12 JK-HIGHWAY Jammu: The Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only all weather surface link between Kashmir and rest of the country, has been closed for vehicular traffic for the second consecutive day Friday due to fresh snowfall and landslides, officials said. KOTA NRG6 RJ-BRUTAL KILLING Kota (Rajasthan): A 45-year-old woman and her daughter have been found dead in a suspected robbery attempt here, police said Friday.

DHARAMSHALA DES2 HP-BIRDS Dharamshala: There has been an increase in water birds -- resident and migratory -- at Himachal Pradesh's Pong Dam wetland with 5,026 more from the avian species being spotted in 2018-19 over the previous year, wildlife officials said. PTI ASH ASH.