Adil Akhzer

This is the second encounter in South Kashmir in the last 24 hours. On Tuesday, two Jaish-e-Mohammad militants were killed in an encounter in Pulwama district.

The gunbattle took place in Saimoh Tral area in the early hours of Tuesday after joint forces launched a cordon and search operation following inputs about the presence of militants, according to J&K police.

According to police, the slain militants were hiding inside a house.

Jammu and Kashmir Police officers told The Indian Express that the investigation has found that the IED-laden car belonged to a militant from south Kashmir’s Shopian who has been active since last year.

“The person driving the car escaped from the area, leaving the car behind… the security forces recovered huge quantity of explosives and, subsequently, it was destroyed,” said a senior officer.

Two videos of the CMO Bandipora Dr Tajamul Hussain shouting at the police personnel posted at a checkpoint in Bandipora district have gone viral on social media. 

A J&K Police spokesperson said on Monday that joint forces busted a hideout from a shop owned by Nazir Ahmad Wani at Bellow Dhargund in Pulwama. The police release issued on Monday has come two days after the forces conducted search at the official’s house.

According to the Jammu & Kashmir Police, the encounter took place at a village in the Khud-Hanjipora area early on Monday. Security forces had received inputs about the presence of militants in the area late on Sunday night, officers said.

Srinagar International airport officials say they are ready to resume commercial flight operations post lockdown and they are expecting around 15 flights would operate from the airport on daily basis.

A senior police officer in Srinagar confirmed to the Indian Express that one cop who was critically injured in the attack has succumbed to injuries. “Another one is injured,” he said.

J-K Police said the two BSF men were on naka duty on the outskirts of Srinagar when they were attacked.

They identified the deceased as Head Constable Amin Bhagat. A senior health official told The Sunday Express that Bhagat was declared brought dead at a hospital in the area.

Ranvir Singh, in his 30s, was declared dead on arrival at the local hospital. Officials said it was a natural death.

CRPF spokesman Pankaj Singh said: “At about 1020 hours, a civil vehicle, Wagon R, broke a checkpoint of J&K Police, sped and came across another checkpoint of CRPF. and jumped this check point as well.”

The administration has decided 2G mobile Internet services will continue until May 27.

According to J&K Information Department’s Covid bulletin on Monday, the UT had reported 879 cases.

Giving details of the joint operation by security forces that ledto the killing of Naikoo, police sources said the Hizbul Mujahideen commander was hiding in the attic that had been covered with a false ceiling.

Whenever you eliminate the leadership, it will definitely bring down militant recruitment, says Kashmir IGP Vijay Kumar.

Doctors in Srinagar said the man's death could have been due to "cytokine storm". A cytokine storm is an overproduction of chemicals from immune cells that increases the risk of mortality in patients.