Srinagar: A jawan has died in an encounter with terrorists in Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday, a police official said, a day after an Army major was killed by them during a gunbattle in the district.

Acting on credible input about the presence of militants in Bijbehara area of the south Kashmir district, security forces launched a cordon and search operation this morning.

The official said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired on the forces, who retaliated.

A jawan was injured in the gunbattle, he said adding that he succumbed at a hospital. The exchange of fire was going on when last reports came in, he said.

On Monday, an Army major was killed and another officer and two troopers were injured in an encounter with militants in the district's Achabal area. A militant was also killed.

Militants also targeted an Army patrol unit with a vehicle fitted with an improvised explosive device in Pulwama district Monday. Nine jawans and two civilians were injured in the blast. They are recuperating at a hospital.

The site of the blast was 27 km from the area where a convoy of vehicles carrying CRPF personnel was attacked by a suicide bomber in February in which 40 jawans were killed.

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Bengaluru: In a bid to curb misconduct and illegal activities inside Parappana Agrahara Central Prison, prison authorities have introduced a new ‘Prisoners Tracking Movement System’ under which inmates will have to undergo biometric verification while entering every barrack.

According to jail officials, biometric systems have been installed across all major sections of the prison, including barracks, visitor rooms, hospital, canteen, kitchen, library, playground, handicraft units and bakery sections. Staff members have also been deployed at these locations.

Officials said inmates visiting the visitors’ room must now obtain a digital token after biometric verification. Details such as the prisoner’s name, identification number and entry time will be updated in the prison software system. This will help authorities maintain a complete digital record of inmates visiting and returning from meeting rooms.

Similar systems have also been introduced at entry points of the hospital, library and other barracks accessed for work-related purposes. Officials said the system will help identify prisoners involved in suspicious or illegal activities with other inmates and enable authorities to track how much time a prisoner spends at different locations inside the prison.

Authorities stated that AI-powered cameras were already being used inside the prison to monitor inmates as well as prison staff. Along with this, digital tracking of prisoner phone calls and a digital token system for visitor meetings have now been added to strengthen surveillance over inmate movement. Officials said the project has been implemented at a cost of around Rs 2.25 crore.

The prison department has also introduced a canteen usage tracking system to monitor prisoners’ spending patterns. Instead of direct cash payments, inmates can purchase bakery items and snacks using wallets or coupons issued within the prison system.

Officials said the digital system will record details including the buyer’s name, items purchased, quantity, date, time and remaining wallet balance. This will allow prison authorities to maintain complete expenditure records of inmates.