Both were from Pakistan and had infiltrated in 2013, a defence spokesman said.

Two militants were killed in a gunfight with the armed forces in the Sopore area of north Kashmir on Sunday.

The police said Kari Assadulah and Mohammad Ramzan of the Lashkar-e-Taiba were cornered in a search operation carried out on a tip-off. Two AK rifles, two magazines, two intercom sets, three GPS sets and two compasses were recovered from the militants.

“On a tip-off, the Sopore police, along with jawans of 22 Rashtriya Rifles and the 177 battalion of the CRPF, launched a cordon-and-search operation at Saidpora village. The militants fired upon the joint search party, triggering an encounter…,” police spokesperson Manoj Pandita said.

“Asadullah, who infiltrated into Kashmir last year, was a group commander of the LeT,” Mr. Pandita said. “Ramzan was earlier affiliated to the JeM and part of a group which infiltrated into north Kashmir in 2013,” he said.

On Thursday, five JeM militants were killed in an encounter in the Shopian area of south Kashmir.

On Wednesday, a militant was killed in a gunfight in Sopore.