Five HM, LeT militants killed in encounter with security forces in J&K's Kulgam

Five militants belonging to Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were killed on Sunday in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district , police said.

The gunbattle broke out after militants opened fire on a search party of the security forces in Kulgam's Kellem village this morning, a police official said.

He said five militants were killed in the encounter and weapons and warlike stores were recovered from the spot.

The slain militants were identified as Waseem Ahmad Rather, Aqib Nazir Mir, Parvaiz Ahmad Bhat, Idrees Ahmad Bhat and Zahid Ahmad Parray, the police official said.

"As per police records, it was a combined group of proscribed terror outfits HM and LeT and their (militants') exact affiliations are being ascertained. They were wanted by the law for their complicity in a series of terror crimes, including attacks on security establishments and civilian atrocities," a police spokesperson said.

Waseem, Aqib and Parvaiz were involved in killings of a civilian, Mohd Iqbal Kawa, and local Army jawan, Mukhtar Ahmad, he said.

He said this group of militants was also involved in various grenade attacks across Anantnag and Kulgam districts.