J&K: Two Hizb militants killed in encounter

Superintendent of Police (Sopore) Bhim Singh Tuti said ultras Mohammad Yaqoob Dar alias Zubair and his Pakistani friend Shaheen were killed in an encounter that lasted for

about four hours at Wakanpora-Sopore. They were intercepted by a joint search party of police and Rashtriya Rifles on Friday morning.

The SP said the militants were part of the group that had infiltrated into the Valley through Gurez sector last month.

"The militants had moved to Sopore and were in the process of establishing a base," Tuti said adding the police received specific information and launched a search operation with the Rashtriya Rifles.

The ultras, who had taken shelter in a house in the village, on noticing the movement of security forces tried to escape the cordon but were intercepted by the search party at a nursery and were subsequently killed in a gunfight.

On March 26, the army had intercepted a large group of militants near the Line of Control in Gurez sector of Bandipora district and shot dead one of the intruders.

However, others had escaped and could not be traced even as the army launched a search operation for over a week.