Two militants killed in encounter after abducting police constable in JK's Kulgam

Two militants were killed in a brief encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Friday, hours after the duo abducted a constable, police said.

The militants opened fire at a patrolling party of the Army in the Frisal area of Kulgam, in south Kashmir, in the evening, they said.

The forces retaliated and the two militants were killed, a police official said.

Their identity and affiliation are being ascertained, he added.

The official said the incident took place near the Shirpora area in Kulgam from where Constable Sartaj Ahmad Itoo was abducted earlier.

Itoo and another person, identified as Imran Ahmad, were injured in the exchange of fire, he said, adding that both were rushed to a hospital in Anantnag.

Constable Itoo of Railway Police Srinagar was abducted from his home.

It was the second such incident of abduction of a policeman in the Valley in as many days.

On Thursday night, Constable Javaid Jabbar was abducted by militants in Shopian district. He was, however, set free hours later.