A fierce exchange of fire began on Wednesday morning in south Kashmir's Dadsara village near Tral, 40 km from Sringar, between holed-up militants and the security forces.
Terrorists attacked a police picket in south Kashmir's Medura village in Pulwama district on Tuesday night and decamped with arms and ammunition after overpowering the police guards in the post.
The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas will resume on Tuesday, they said.
Bodies of all the five soldiers were flown to their home towns after the wreath-laying ceremonies, the spokesman said.
Hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was on Thursday placed under house arrest, a day ahead of his scheduled visit to Tral town in south Kashmir Pulwama district.
Six militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district on Saturday. On a tip-off, the police assisted by army and CRPF cordoned Lurgam-Tral village, 45 km from Srinagar.
Heavy snowfall has blanketed Kashmir, bringing relief to the residents from dry weather. The snowfall, which began in the late afternoon on Friday, has continued in most parts of the valley, said officials, adding it is one of the heaviest snowfalls in the recent years in the plains of Kashmir.
A Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist, who was seen in a video taken during the funeral of outfit commander Sabzar Bhat last week, has surrendered before authorities in Kashmir, the police said on Wednesday.
One of the terrorists was under the scanner of investigators for his role in the CRPF convoy attack.
The militants had ambushed a BSF convoy at neighbouring Goriwan area at Bijbehara in South Kashmir killing three of its personnel.
Separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat on Thursday denied waving Pakistani flag at a rally organised to welcome his senior Syed Ali Shah Geelani in Srinagar, but said it was a representation of the feelings, aspirations and sentiments of the people across Kashmir.
Fayaz Ahmad Dar, shot himself with his service rifle inside battalion headquarters of Central Reserve Police Force at Chrar-e-Sharief, a police spokesman said.
The anti-terrorist operation was still in progress.
The army had to had to aim at the crowd when jawans claimed to have been fired upon from the other side.
The bodies have been recovered from the encounter site where the search operation was still in progress
A defence spokesman clarified that the civilian died when militants, escaping after attacking an army column, opened fire.
Police said two army soldiers of 42 Rashtriya Rifles who were injured in the militant attack were evacuated to a hospital for treatment.
The BSF recovered 12000 rounds of ammunition, five kg high-quality explosive, one hand grenade, one under barrel grenade launcher, two detonators and two binoculars.
Colonel M N Rai's supreme sacrifice highlights that the Indian Army continues to be led from the front by its officers.
Jammu and Kashmir has been hit by three terror attacks in three hours. Unidentified gunmen shot at a civilian in Tral in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Monday.
In another incident, militants chopped off the hands of a man in Tral Area in Pulwama district, 30 km from Srinagar.
People on Tuesday took to streets and pelted stones on security forces at several places of Kashmir, including Pampore where a 48-hour gunbattle between three terrorists and the army ended on Monday.
Normal life remained paralysed for the 37th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike.
A day after terror strikes rocked the Kashmir Valley, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said terrorists tried to attack Indian democracy but brave jawans sacrificed their lives protecting the country's security.
Lelhari was named as the new commander of Ghazwat-ul-Hind in June this year after Zakir Musa was gunned down by security forces.
"We condemn the brutal use of force by Indian security forces against peaceful and unarmed protesters," it said.
The killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani is a huge victory for security forces, a security expert has observed, adding that it would have huge repercussions and ramifications.
Security forces are "inching closer to him through our informer network," police officials said about Zakir, who has purportedly claimed in the two-minute video.
In an audacious move, 11 young Kashmiri militants donning army fatigues and holding firearms, posted their photographs on Facebook, forcing the security forces to sit up and take notice.
The Jammu and Kashmir government has cleared ex-gratia to next of kin of 17 persons, including Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Burhan Wani's brother, killed in terrorism-related incidents in the Valley, while giving one week's time for filing of any objection before formal orders are issued.
Even as India battles the COVID-19 threat on a war footing, it cannot lose sight of the threat building up in Kashmir, cautions Lieutenant General Syed Ata Hasnain (retd).
Of the 18 terrorists killed, 14 belonged to JeM including its "six main commanders", the Lt. Gen., flanked by IGP Kashmir S P Pani and IG CRPF Zulfiqar Hassan, said.
The bodies of two terrorists had been recovered on Sunday.
Amid growing tensions in Jammu and Kashmir, Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed has pledged full support to the Kashmiris in their struggle for freedom and said he backed 'jihad' in the troubled state in concert with Pakistani government and the army.
The army has quietly moved an entire brigade into south Kashmir to clear it of militants and protesters.
Normal life remained crippled due to curfew and the shutdown call by separatists groups.
In yet another audacious move, the banned Hizbul Mujahideen has uploaded a video of its militants training in army fatigues with assault rifles and cracking jokes on a social networking site, seen as a "psychological warfare" against the security forces.
42 terrorists, 7 civilians and 15 security personnel have lost their lives since May 15.
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