Two Hizb militants killed in encounter

Two local Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Pulwama district on Sunday.

Sources said based on a specific input about the presence of the militants, army's Rashtriya Rifles troops and special operations group (SOG) of J&K police cordoned off Tahab village of Pulwama, 26 km from here during late Saturday night.

"As the house-to-house search operation was launched on Sunday morning, militants hiding in one of the houses fired on the search party triggering an encounter in which two ultras were killed," they said.

The slain militants have been identified as Irfan Ahmad Sheikh and Abid Magray, both locals belonging to Hizbul outfit. PRO Defence Col Rajesh Kalia while confirming the death of two militants in the encounter said the search operation in the area was in progress.

Sources said two to three more militants could be hiding in the area and army was trying to flush out them. Reports said as the word spread about the killing of two local militants, people took to streets in Samboora and Tahab villages. In Samboora, reports said, forces resorted to aerial firing to disperse the protesters.

An official said that mobile Internet services were suspended in Pulwama district to prevent the “spreading of rumours.”

With militancy, especially home grown, on rise, security forces have launched a massive operation to flush out the terrorists. More than 110 militants have been killed so far this year, which is highest in the last eight years. The security forces are going after militants as part of operation "hunt down" and on the basis of a “hit list” of militants.