At least eighteen people, including 12 rebels, have been killed and 15 people wounded in fresh separatist violence in India's strife-torn Jammu and Kashmir state, police and army said this afternoon.
The disputed Himalayan region remains at the centre of a military stand-off between India and Pakistan.
"Four militants of HUJI (Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami) including its senior commander, Abdul Reman, were killed in a fierce encounter with the army near Aithmula area of Baramulla district," an army spokesman said.
"Three Pakistani nationals were among the dead
In a separate incident, a civilian was killed and 13 others wounded when suspected rebels lobbed a grenade at a bus stand in Pulwama town south of Srinagar, police said.
Militants hurled a grenade towards a police vehicle at Pulwama bus stand, which missed the target and exploded on the road, a police spokesman said. Two children were hurt in another explosion in north Kashmir.
No militant group claimed responsibility for the explosions.
Elsewhere eight militants, three security force personnel and two civilians were killed in separate gun battles across the region.