"The killing of Abdul Rehman alias Fauji Bhai alias Fauji Baba, a Pakistani national, is a big success for security forces as he was a master in assembling improvised explosive devices for JeM," Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar told reporters in Srinagar.
'A third wave is possible, but we must try to restrict it to a low level by adopting all personal protection and public policy measures to prevent viral transmission, while speeding up vaccination.'
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.
Bodies of all the five soldiers were flown to their home towns after the wreath-laying ceremonies, the spokesman said.
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.
The militants had ambushed a BSF convoy at neighbouring Goriwan area at Bijbehara in South Kashmir killing three of its personnel.
A defence spokesman clarified that the civilian died when militants, escaping after attacking an army column, opened fire.
Some of the BJP panches and councillors who attended the meeting with Manoj Sinha said they were not impressed with what the new lieutenant governor told them.
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.
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.
The annual pilgrimage to the 3,880 metre high holy cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas will resume on Tuesday, they said.
The team of 21 Rashtriya Rifles had entered the house of a civilian to prevent a hostage situation when they came under attack from the terrorists who had already reached there. While the four army personnel and the police Sub Inspector lost their lives in the encounter, the civilians trapped in the house were safely evacuated.
In another incident, militants chopped off the hands of a man in Tral Area in Pulwama district, 30 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.
Colonel M N Rai's supreme sacrifice highlights that the Indian Army continues to be led from the front by its officers.
The bodies have been recovered from the encounter site where the search 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.
One of the terrorists was under the scanner of investigators for his role in the CRPF convoy attack.
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.
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.
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.
"We condemn the brutal use of force by Indian security forces against peaceful and unarmed protesters," it said.
Normal life remained paralysed for the 37th consecutive day due to curfew, restrictions and separatist sponsored strike.
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.
Lelhari was named as the new commander of Ghazwat-ul-Hind in June this year after Zakir Musa was gunned down by security forces.
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.
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.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and three of his cabinet colleagues are among 44 candidates whose fate will be decided on Tuesday in the third phase of polling in 16 seats spread across Budgam, Pulwama and Baramulla districts.
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.
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).
