Shopian: Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed on Saturday in a brief encounter with security forces in south Kashmir's Shopian. One of the slain militants was an M.Tech student.

Jawans of the 44 Rashtriya Rifles, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Special Operation Group (SoG) of the Jammu and Kashmir Police were involved in the joint search operation in Padguchi area of Imam Sahib in Shopian.

A senior officer of Jammu and Kashmir Police said that at around 3.20 pm, the security forces, moving towards the militants' hideout, came under heavy fire. Consequently, an encounter broke out between the security forces and militants.

“In the encounter two militants were killed,” the officer added.

The surrounding area has also been cordoned off and a search operation is underway to flush out any remaining militants.

One of the killed militants has been identified as Rahil Rashid Sheikh of Nunner Ganderbal. He was an M.Tech student and had joined militant ranks on April 3. The other militant has been identified as Bilal Ahmad resident of Keegam, Shopian.

A police spokesperson said that incriminating materials, including three AK rifles, were recovered from the site of the encounter. All these materials have been taken in the case records for further investigation and to probe the militants' involvement in other terror cases.