An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in South Kashmir’s Shopian district on Sunday morning. (File photo)

Five militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in South Kashmir’s Shopian district Sunday morning, a senior police officer told The Indian Express

A CRPF spokesperson, earlier in the day, said that the encounter broke out around 8 am in Reban area. According to sources, they received inputs that a group of five militants were in the area.

The encounter took place a few days after security forces said that a JEM top commander, who was a bomb maker and Afghan war veteran, was among the three militants killed in a gunfight in nearby Pulwama district.

On Wednesday, according to the police, the top slain commander, code-named “Fouji Bhai”, was an Afghanistan war participant and was the mastermind of the averted car bombing incident in Pulwama last week.

There has been an increase in anti-militancy operations in the Valley since April. Among those killed in the encounter in May included former Hizbul Mujahideen’s operational chief Riyaz Naikoo and Junaid Sehrai, another top Hizbul commander and son of a senior separatist leader.

A total of 75 militants have been killed so far this year in the Valley, as per the police records till Wednesday.