Four militants, including a self-styled battalion commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, and a father-son duo were among the eight people killed in separate incidents in Jammu and Kashmir
Militants also set off two powerful grenade explosions in Srinagar on Monday wounding 14.
Abdul Rashid Raina, a self-styled battalion commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in an encounter with the Border Security Force at Brenwar village in Badgam district this morning, a police spokesman said.
Raina, active for the past eight years, was involved in several killings and was forcibly recruiting youngsters for militancy, the spokesman said.
Two Pakistani mercenaries were killed in a gunbattle with security forces at Challadarnas in Udhampur district.
Another militant identified as Riaz Ahmad alias Gowhar was killed during combing operation by security forces at Nowkote village, the spokesman said.
A woman was also killed when she was caught in the crossfire between militants and security forces during the operation.
The spokesman said militants shot dead one Mohammad Akbar and his son Manzoor Ahmad at Bagh-e-Sanger in Pulwama district.
The police picked up the body of one Javid Ahmad Najar from Athwatho forest in Baramulla district.
Najar, a resident of Bonakote, was kidnapped by militants on January 18 and later killed, the spokesman said.
Fourteen people, including three women, were injured when militants exploded a grenade at Wazirbagh in uptown Srinagar at around 1445 hours.
Some vehicles were damaged in the explosion, the spokesman said.
Militants hurled another grenade at a security camp in Barbarshah area in downtown Srinagar but no one was injured.
The ultras shot at and wounded two persons, including an engineer, at Chandigam in Pulwama district.
The spokesman said militants abducted one Mohammad Sadiq from his house in Jammu region's Rajouri district last night.
Security forces apprehended a Hizbul militant during search operations in Ganderbal area and recovered some arms and ammunition.