Security forces killed two unidentified militants after a gun battle in central Kashmir’s Budgam district on Thursday, officials said, two days after a nephew of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar was shot down in Pulwama.

Police said the operation was launched in the morning based on credible inputs about the presence of militants in Zagoo village in Khansahib.

A police spokesperson said the militants, who were hiding, fired on the team during the search operation. The firing was retaliated by the force, leading to an encounter.

“The identities of militants are being ascertained,” the spokesperson said adding that arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter.

Police also asked citizens not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can prove dangerous due to stray explosive materials.

“People are requested to cooperate with police till the area is completely sanitised and cleared of all the explosives materials if any,” the spokesperson said.

The latest incident comes after security forces killed two militants, including Azhar’s nephew Usman Hyder in Tral area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama on Tuesday.

Hyder was wanted for some recent attacks on security forces in the Tral area where Tuesday’s encounter took place. An M-4 carbine, used for carrying out sniper attacks on security forces, was also seized from the encounter site, officials said.

First Published: Nov 01, 2018 09:25 IST