Srinagar: Two wanted Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including a former policeman, were killed today in a gun battle with security forces in Shopian district of south Kashmir.
According to an army official, an encounter broke out between security forces and militants in vehil village of Shopian, 55km from here, after the troops of 62 Rashtriya Rifles launched a search operation in the area.
The dead militants were identified as Naseer Ahmad Pandit and Inamul Haq alias Waseem Malla, both wanted militants of Hizbul Mujahideen, he said, adding that two weapons were recovered from the militants.
Pandit had joined militant ranks after deserting police force last year. He was posted on security duty at the residence of PDP MLA and then works minister Altaf Bukhari at the time of quitting the force.
"Nasir was a former police constable who had decamped with his service rifle and later joined the militant ranks. He belonged to Karimabad village of Pulwama district," the the official said.
He said troops of counter-insurgency unit Rashtriya Rifles, special operations group (SOG) of state police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out the operation which lasted barely half-an-hour.
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