The self-styled commander Manzoor Ahmad Ganai, alias Rafiq, was shot dead by the BSF in an encounter at Nowgam bypass on the outskirts of Srinagar today, a BSF spokesperson said.

Acting on a tip-off that Ganai, carrying a reward of Rs 2 lakh on his head, will pass through Nowgam bypass, troops of the BSF’s 56 Battalion, along with the force’s intelligence team, laid an ambush last night, he said.

One AK assault rifle, one magazine, 11 rounds and seven empty cases of ammunition were seized from the site.

However, the residents of Nowgam alleged that he was killed in a “fake encounter”.

In another incident, a Lashkar-e-Toiba militant, Ghulam Malik of Adhal village was killed in an inter-group clash at Sagam in Anantnag district last night, a police spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the militants shot dead a civilian in Gudder village in Anantnag yesterday.

In another incident, militants killed another civilian Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat near his house at Botingo in the Sopore area of Baramula district early today, he said.

The spokesperson said the police had recovered 109 slabs of explosive material, six remote-control devices, 15 metres of cordex and 19 detonators during search operations at Gurdanbala in the border district of Rajouri in Jammu last night.

In another operation, the police seized two packets of RDX, two detonators and two pencil bombs from the Nikki Tawi area at Bhagwati Nagar in Jammu.

JAMMU: The authorities have sounded a high alert in Jammu division following the recovery of two kg of RDX on the outskirts of the city and over 21 kg of other explosives in the Gurdanbala area, police sources said here.

A high alert has been sounded in the city and its outskirts and security arrangements have further been beefed up around all vital installations to thwart any terrorist strike, the sources said.

More checkposts are being set up at various vantage points to nab the saboteurs. People in respective areas have also been asked to keep vigil on suspicious elements and inform the police about their movements, the sources said. PTI

“It is imperative for the Centre to fulfil this demand at the earliest as a part of the confidence-building measures and for lasting peace in the state,” State Finance Minister Abdul Rahim Rather said at a public meeting in central Kashmir. “The Centre has to fulfil its promises made from time to time to the people here on the restoration of autonomy,” the NC leader added.

Mr Rather impressed upon the people to remain united and foil the attempts of anti-social elements trying to disturb the peace in the state.

NC provisional President G.N. Shaheen addressed a series of public meetings in north Kashmir saying: “we will continue our fight for the restoration of autonomy”.

“Our struggle will continue till all promises made by the Centre to the people of Jammu and Kashmir are fulfilled,” he said.

Mr Shaheen cautioned the people to beware of those engaged in false propaganda against the party and its leaders.

“We all have to strengthen the hands of our party leadership and foil the attempts of our enemies,” he said.

He termed the recent decision of the NC Working Committee to handover the party leadership to the Union Minister of State for External Affairs Omar Abdullah as “timely”.

Mr Shaheen said the party would win the forthcoming Assembly elections with a thumping majority as it enjoyed the confidence of the people of the state. UNI