2 Hizbul militants killed in encounter with security forces in J&K

Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were Saturday killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Tikken area of Pulwama in south Kashmir Saturday morning after receiving specific information about the presence of militants there, a police spokesman said.

He said as the forces were conducting the searches, the militants opened fire on them.

The forces retaliated and in the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed, the spokesman said.

The slain ultras were identified as Liyaqat Munir Wani, a resident of the Below Dargund area in Pulwama, and Wajid Ul Islam, a resident of the Babhar area in the district, he said.

They were affiliated with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, the spokesman said.

He said both the militants were involved in a series of terror attacks on security establishments and many other atrocities against civilians in the area.

Arms and ammunition including AK and INSAS rifle and other incriminating materials were recovered from the encounter site. The INSAS rifle seized from the encounter site was the same rifle which terrorists had snatched fromMurran, Pulwama, earlier, the spokesman said.