Hizb district commander among two militants killed in J&K

A self-styled Hizbul Mujahideen district commander was among two militants killed in a gunbattle with security forces in Reasi district, police said today.

Acting on a tip off about the presence of a group of militants in Deedan Gali forest area of Mahore tehsil in the district, troops of 126 CRPF battalion and police launched a cordon and search operation last night.

During the search, an encounter took place between the militants and operation parties in which two militants were killed, they said.

The slain militants have been identified as Mushtaq Ahmed alias Irfan, self-styled district commander of Hizb, and Shabir Ahmed alias Abu Hamza, they said, adding Irfan had joined militancy in 1999 and got arms training from Pakistan.

He was involved in the killing of over 10 people, including four members of a marriage party, an army jawan and two Special Police Officers (SPOs).

Two AK-rifles and large quantity of ammunition and explosive material have been recovered from the site of the encounter.