The dead included five militants and three securitymen, an official spokesman said here today.

Unidentified militants lobbed a powerful grenade at Dar'shouse at Bulbul-Nowgam near Shangus in Anantnag district of South Kashmir early today, police said. The grenade missed its target and exploded in the compound, without causing any harm.

Dar, a National Conference leader, was out in Jammu attending the the Legislature, which is in session. However, his family members were in the house when the explosion occured, the police said.

Meanwhile two BSF personnel were killed and two, including a deputy commandant, were injured as militants detonated two improvised explosive devices on Trang-Arnas road in Udhampur district of Jammu today, thespokesman said.

A civilian, who was reportedly accompanying the BSF party, was also injured and hospitalised, he said.

A junior commissioned officer was killed and a soldier seriously wounded following a shooting incident inside an army camp in Pulwama district of South Kashmir last night, the spokesman said, adding the jawan responsible for the shooting had been arrested.

Meanwhile Srinagar unit of Special Operations Group (SOG) of local police today rescued a hostage and killed his kidnapper in interior Srinagar today, the spokesman said.

He said the kidnapper, Javed Ahmad Shah of Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed in an exchange of fire with the SOG personnel at Ontabhawan-Soura in downtown Srinagar today.

However, residents of Chhanpora, to which Shah belonged, took to the streets alleging he was arrested from his shop three days earlier and killed in a fake encounter.

A pistol, a grenade and an identity card were recovered from the kidnapper, who was demanding Rs 20 lakh as ransom, he said, addingShah's involvement in militancy is being checked.