Protests against the killing of four people in firing by Border Security Force personnel erupted across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday during which 40 people including 19 security personnel were injured in clashes, stone-pelting and cane-charge.
Stone-pelters clashed with security personnel in Anantnag and in the Safakadal area in Srinagr in the wake of the rumours, he said.
Moderate to brisk voting was recorded in the two constituencies of Ganderbal and Kangan in north Kashmir Sunday as authorities again clamped undeclared curfew in the rest of the Valley to prevent the proposed separatist march in Srinagar.
The NIA questioned him for over two days before handing him over to the state police.
A batch of 429 pilgrims left for the yatra from Jammu. The pilgrims included 32 women and 102 sadhus.
If this trend continues, 2018 may end up as the worst year in terms of number of youths joining various terror groups, according to the officials.
This assurance was given by home minister Amit Shah to a delegation of sarpanch and panch from Jammu and Kashmir who met him on Tuesday.
A fresh batch of 6,162 pilgrims, including 1,360 women and 222 Sadhus on Monday left the winter capital for the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam in Kashmir, officials said.
The two Pakistan-based terrorists of the LeT were killed in an encounter with police at village Nagabal-Derand in Ganderbal district on Sunday night, foiling a plan of the outfit to attack the pilgrims on their return from the cave shrine, a police spokesperson said.
One person was killed in a clash between a mob and security forces in downtown Srinagar on Sunday evening, shattering the peace that was by and large witnessed in Kashmir through the day with curfew in force in the capital and two other towns.
Ganderbal SSP Hansraj Parihar and DSP Bahadur Ram have been arrested for their involvement in the fake encounters.
Rafi Bhat, a 33-year-old professor on contract with the Kashmir University's Sociology department, had left the varsity premises on Friday and had been missing since then. Reports had suggested he had joined the terror group but his father had repeatedly told the police Rafi would not pick up arms.
A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper killed himself with his service rifle inside a CRPF camp at Hariganwan, 40 km from Srinagar in north Kashmir Ganderbal district on Friday.
The MEA spokesperson further said the actions and behaviour of the Chinese side since earlier this year along the LAC have been in "clear violation" of the bilateral agreements and protocols concluded between the two countries to ensure peace and tranquility on the border.
Enthusiasm to take part in the democratic process by exercising their right to franchise transcended the age boundaries on Tuesday as old and young alike, the many-time voters and the first-time ones, came out to vote in the first phase of elections in Kashmir.
Militants on Wednesday morning ambushed an army convoy, killing one trooper and wounding 10 others on the Srinagar Leh national highway.
Two persons, including a police constable, have been arrested in connection with the killing of a Muslim cleric in an alleged fake encounter by special operations group in Baramulla district last year.
The two were arrested in January in connection with the north Kashmir fake encounters where five civilians had been framed as foreign militants and killed in stage-managed shootouts.
Sheikh Ghulam Ahmad Saloora was attacked with a grenade at Duderhama in the Ganderbal area of Srinagar.
The army foiled a major infiltration bid on Saturday along the Line of Control in Kashmir, killing five terrorists.
Search operations are still going on in the area.
But he maintained that the cases against his son for attacking officials was as conspiracy against him.
Three persons were killed and 19 others injured after a cloudburst struck near the base camp of Amarnath yatra along the shorter 16-km Baltal route to the cave shrine in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, officials said on Saturday.
The prime minister said the country would give befitting response to every terrorist.
The SIT is probing the alleged killing of five innocents in fake gunbattles by SOG in 2006.
On Thursday the authorities handed over the exhumed body to the relatives of the south Kashmir carpenter after the victim's father identified it.
This followed wide spread allegations that the 'militant' killed had been a south Kashmir carpenter who had been framed and killed in the fake encounter.
No militant outfit has so far claimed responsibility for the abduction, the sources said.
The pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath via north Kashmir Baltel route was halted on Thursday evening after flash floods washed away a major portion of a bridge in Ganderbal district.
'If the situation escalates, then mini-scale firing might happen.'
More than 8,000 pilgrims on Monday paid obeisance at the holy cave shrine.
According to reports, the jawans belonged to 13 Rashtriya Rifles.
Normal life remained paralysed for the 37th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike.
J&K govt releases Rs 1 crore for quake-hit
Areas falling under the jurisdiction of 11 police stations Srinagar were also placed under curfew.