The corner shot weapon will protect members of anti-terror operation parties from coming in line of direct fire from terrorists in close-combat situations, which mostly take place in congested and populated areas of Kashmir, he said.

Slogans for his long afterlife rented the air, as coffin of Flight Lieutenant Advitiya Bal arrived at his home in Jinder Mehlu hamlet of border belt of R S Pura, where thousands of people gathered to pay their last respects to the fighter pilot.

Bala and Kumar were transferred to another school in a safer area only on Monday night. Tuesday was supposed to be the last day for Bala at her old school.

"It is not a crime to be a Hindu. It is not their (Islamic) State."

Northern Army commander Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi on Monday said the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits and non-local labourers by militants was to keep terrorism alive in Kashmir.

It facilitates shooting around corners and over the top of walls, without exposing the person using the pistol, they said.

The ceasefire along Indo-Pak border is working 'well' since February 2021 agreement, he asserted.

Lt Gen Dwivedi, who was referring to the clash between the Indian soldiers and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, also said that PLA's aggression in eastern Ladakh was met with "swift mobilisation and appropriate force posturing".

The prime minister said that Palli has shown the way to the country for achieving carbon neutral state.

The Sako .338 TRG-42 sniper rifles have a better range, firepower, and telescopic sights than those possessed by the adversary, the official said.

Thousands of labourers, mostly Hindus and some Muslims, from different states arrived at railway stations and bus stands in Jammu and Udhampur after leaving the Valley.

The announcement by India and Pakistan to strictly observe all agreements on ceasefire along the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors has rekindled hope for a peaceful future among border residents in Jammu and Kashmir who have been living under constant fear of firing and shelling.

A top police official said that Pakistan is trying to infiltrate terrorists along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir even during the winters when most of the passes and mountainous areas along the border are covered in heavy snow.

Till August 5 last year, except for parliamentary elections, these refugees were barred from voting in Jammu and Kashmir's assembly, panchayat and urban local body polls.

The revocation of provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution has given a new lease of life to over 3,000 Valmiki community members who live on the land that was allocated to their ancestors when they shifted to Jammu from Punjab's Gurdaspur district on invitation of the erstwhile state government in 1957.

A divisional level officer said that over 1,900 domicile certificates have been granted to West Pakistan refugees and the process to grant all of them citizenship certificates is going on.

Pakistan has launched new terror outfits staffed by cadres of the dreaded Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed under 'local names' to mislead the world that it has nothing to do with the terrorism prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir, Director General of Police (DGP) of the union territory Dilbag Singh said.

The revelation has come as intelligence agencies, too, say Pakistan is pushing terrorists infected with COVID-19 into Kashmir.

As many as 160 terrorists were killed and 102 arrested in Jammu and Kashmir in 2019.

'We are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea'