The deserter has been identified as Idrees Sultan, a Shopian resident in his early 20s.

An army soldier who joined Hizbul Mujahideen is among two terrorists killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian today, the police said.

Security forces launched a pre-dawn cordon and search operation after getting inputs about the presence of terrorists in Zainapora area of the south Kashmir district.

Police said as the search operation was going on, the terrorists who were hiding fired at the search party. Security forces retaliated, leading to an encounter. "They were affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen and were involved in terror attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area," a police spokesperson said.

"No collateral damage took place during the operation," he said.

The deserter has been identified as Idrees Sultan, a Shopian resident who was in his early 20s. He deserted the Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry regiment and joined the terror group in April this year, police said. Idrees Sultan was also known as Chota Abrar. The other terrorist killed, Amir Hussain Rather, is also from Shopian.

Police have asked locals not to venture inside the encounter zone since such an area can be 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.

Security forces recovered weapons and other incriminating material from the site of the encounter, an army spokesperson said.

(With inputs from PTI)