Clashes also broke out at several places in Kashmir on Tuesday, leaving several persons injured.
The meeting came after terrorists carried out a series of targeted killings in the Kashmir Valley that include non-Muslims, security personnel, an artist and local civilians.
"We have killed the Hizbul Mujaheedin district commander Sajad Ahmed Bhat alias Tahir Maqsood and three other militants. With their elimination, we have almost wiped out the entire group of Hizbul militants operating in Kulgam," S M Sahai, Kashmir inspector general of police said.
The gun-battle between militants and security forces in Kulgam district of South Kashmir intensified on Saturday morning. The exchange of fire between the two sides began on Friday evening.The firefight broke out in Rampora-Qaimoh village, 80 kms from Srinagar, when the police, assisted by security forces, cordoned the village. They were acting on specific information that three to four militants were hiding in a house in the village.
Terming the killing a "cowardly act", the protesters said assurances given by the Centre and the Jammu and Kashmir administration to ensure the safety of minorities in the Valley have proved to be false.
All the victims hailed from Murshidabad district of West Bengal, the police said.
The alarming incident occurred during the funeral of Fayaz Ahmed alias Setha, a resident of Qaimoh area of Kulgam, who was killed in retaliation on Saturday after terrorists had fired upon a police party which had gone to Mir Bazaar area to investigate a road accident.
Against the backdrop of the high voter turnout during the first phase of polling on November 17, election authorities in the state are gearing up by taking slew of measures for successful completion of remaining six phases, which will see 18 more districts going to the hustings.
Security forces on Saturday killed three terrorists, including two who had allegedly snatched rifles from policemen in Kulgam district earlier this week, in separate operations in Shopian and Sopore areas of Kashmir valley. Acting on specific information, security forces on Friday night launched a search operation in Lehend-Habdipora area of the Shopian district, 52 kms from Srinagar, officials said.
At least two security personnel, including a Special Police Officer, were injured on Wednesday evening when terrorists opened fire on security forces, triggering a gunbattle, at a village in Kulgam district of south Kashmir, official sources said.
The militants attacked the Pulwama police station with grenades and automatic gunfire in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Militants shot at and killed a police constable and wounded another person in south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Saturday morning.
In the first attack of its kind, militants on Monday attacked two armed cops of the Jammu and Kashmir police with sharp edged weapons in the Yaripora village of south Kashmir's Kulgam district and made good their escape along with the automatic weapons of the policemen.
The incoming facility on prepaid connections has also been restored, but the outgoing calls are barred.
In the second encounter within two days in south Kashmir, one terrorist was killed and three security men injured in an ongoing gun battle in the Tangmarg village of south Kashmir's Kulgam district on Wednesday evening.
The army on Friday ordered an internal probe into allegations that its soldiers had abducted and raped a woman in Kulgam district, even as Chief Minister Omar Abdullah promised strict action against the guilty.
Terrorists had laid an ambush and fired indiscriminately when the troops approached the village.
Three persons, including two women, were killed in two separate strikes by militants in south Kashmir on Sunday night. A senior police officer said four militants barged into the house of Mohammad Hussain Gorsi in the Nanmarg forest area of Damhal Hanjipora in south Kashmir's Kulgam district and fired indiscriminately, killing his 40-year old wife and 19-year daughter on the spot. Gorsi managed to escape unhurt.
Will Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, who gets his orders from New Delhi, call the shots or allow a democratically elected government to independently govern, questions Ramesh Menon.
After four days of violence and deaths, Kashmir was today relatively incident-free even as more violence-hit areas were brought under curfew in South Kashmir where 3 youths were killed in alleged CRPF firing.
Political parties and leaders wait with bated breath for the Haryana and Jammu-Kashmir assembly poll results on Tuesday.
The encounter broke out after terrorists hiding in a house opened indiscriminate fire on a joint search party of police and security forces at Khodwani, 70 km from Srinagar, police said.
Anxious to return home after the spate of killings targeting minorities, non-locals and other civilians in the Valley, about 50 migrant labourers, many of them from Bihar, arrived at the Nowgam railway station late on Monday night from nearby Budgam district where they worked in brick kilns.
Kashmiri Pandit employees on Monday threatened to appeal to international human rights organisations for asylum if the central government failed to relocate them from the Valley in the wake of attacks on minorities.
The terrorist was shot dead after he opened fire while trying to escape.
A Pakistani militant belonging to the Lashkar-e-Tayiba outfit was among three killed in two separate encounters on Sunday in Jammu and Kashmir, where three militants remain holed up in a mosque.
The deceased received one gun shot and his body was taken to the hospital for post-mortem.
No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
Most of these new recruits came from Pulwama, Shopian and Kulgam districts in South Kashmir, which had become the hub of tech-savvy, young militants.
Three of the five civilians held hostage by militants came out safely on Monday evening even as security forces continued the siege around the mosque in south Kashmir's Palnu village, 80 km from Srinagar in Kulgam district.
3 terrorists -- two from the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and one from the Hizbul Mujahideen -- were arrested over the past three days.
Dar said he can't wait to join the Mumbai Indians family.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration has neither accepted nor rejected the demand but the protest had to be suspended as stopping of salaries is 'choking us financially', protesters affiliated to the All Migrant (Displaced) Employees Association Kashmir (AMEAK) said.
A grenade was lobbed by a youth at an election rally being addressed by a People's Democratic Party candidate in Noorabad Assembly seat of south Kashmir's Kulgam district.
Omar Abdullah said that if The Kashmir Files was a commercial movie, no one has an issue, but if the film makers claim that it is based on reality, then the facts are the other way round.
A huge cache of arms and ammunition, which includes an AK-47 rifle, magazines, grenades, RPG-7 rocket launcher, was recovered from the encounter site, he said.
'Whether she is in power or not, she always makes it a point to visit us. This is her best quality as a leader.'
According to the order, Singh was awarded Jammu and Kashmir's highest police award in 2018.
Areas falling under the jurisdiction of 11 police stations Srinagar were also placed under curfew.
The boy, identified as Nihan Yawar, a resident of neighbouring Kulgam district, was travelling with his father for some personal work when he was hit by bullets fired by the terrorist at Padshahi Bagh bridge in Anantnag's Bijbehara area.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances