A top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, on the run for eight years, was on Wednesday killed in an encounter with security forces in his home village in Kashmir's Pulwama district, officials said.

The Jammu and Kashmir authorities have already snapped mobile internet services across the valley as a precautionary measure, in anticipation of a possible a law and order problem, police said, adding that there are strict restrictions on the movement of people.

Riyaz Naikoo, operational commander of the banned Hizbul Mujahideen, was trapped in Beighpora village in Pulwama, the officials said.

A police spokesperson said earlier in the morning that a top terrorist commander along with an accomplice was trapped in an encounter but did not reveal his identity.

Later in the day, officials disclosed that the man in their sights was Naikoo, who carried a reward of Rs 12 lakh.

They had been looking for him for eight years.

Naikoo became the de facto chief of the terror group after the death of Burhan Wani, the poster boy of militancy in the Valley, in July 2016. 

The gunfight started between terrorists and security forces in the Beighpora area of Pulwama district in south Kashmir, a police spokesman said.

"Police last night launched an operation on a specific input at Beighpora. Senior officers are monitoring it since last night," he said.

Meanwhile, in another gunfight, an unidentified terrorist was killed in Sharshali village of Pulwama district on Wednesday, officials said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation following information about the presence of terrorists there, they said.

The officials said the search operation turned into an encounter after terrorists opened fire towards security forces' positions.

In the retaliatory firing, one terrorist was killed, they said, adding the operation was going on when the last reports were received.

Jaish terrorist arrested in Pulwama

A Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist was arrested and arms and ammunition seized from his possession in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said on Wednesday.

A JeM terrorist was arrested in Satura village of Tral area of the south Kashmir district late Tuesday night, a police official said.

He said the terrorist was apprehended by the security forces at the Satura crossing when he was found moving under suspicious circumstances.

On his questioning, the security forces recovered an AK-56 rifle, five AK magazines, 150 AK rounds, three Chinese grenades and two cell phones, the official said.