2 Hizb militants killed in Kashmir

THE ENCOUNTER TOOK PLACE AT PAZALPORA AREA OF SOPORE WHERE THE TWO MILITANTS WERE HOLED UP INSIDE A HOUSE

SRINAGAR: Two militants were killed in a gun battle with security forces in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district on Wednesday morning, police said.

Both the militants — identified as Basit and Gulzar — were local and members of the Hizbul Mujahedeen, sources said.

The encounter took place at Pazalpora area of Sopore where the two militants were holed up inside a house.

Following intelligence inputs, a joint team of the army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police launched a cordon and search operation on Tuesday night.

As the security forces were conducting the searches, they were fired upon by some hiding militants, a police official said. The search operation was halted for the night but the forces maintained the cordon to stop the militants from escaping, he added.

He said the operation resumed this morning and the gunfight started after the trapped militants opened fire on the forces.

Two AK rifles, five AK magazines, 124 AK rounds, a hand grenade and a pouch have been found at the encounter site, the official said. The exact number of militants holed up was not immediately clear but there were reports of two ultras being there.