The encounter erupted during a cordon-and-search operation in Anantnag's Wabzun village.

Two terrorists, including a top Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) operative involved in a June 12 attack that resulted in the death of six security personnel, was killed in a gunfight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday.

"In a major success in the ongoing anti-terrorism operations, top JeM operative Fayaz Panzoo was killed along with his associate in a gunfight with security forces in Bijbehara's Wabzun village," news agency IANS quoted a police officer as saying.

The second terrorist is yet to be identified.

According to security personnel, Fayaz Panzoo and the other terrorist were killed when a shootout erupted during a cordon-and-search operation launched by CRPF personnel on the basis of specific intelligence inputs earlier today. "Panzoo was involved in the attack on a CRPF team at Anantnag town last month, during which five personnel were killed and station house officer Arshad Khan was seriously injured. Arshad Khan later died in a hospital," the police officer said.

On June 12, two terrorists - including Fayaz Panzoo - had fired at a CRPF team with automatic rifles while they were passing through Anantnag's KP Road. His associate was killed in retaliatory firing by the CRPF personnel.

The soldiers who lost their lives in the incident were identified as Ramesh Kumar from Haryana's Jhajjar, Nirod Sarma from Assam's Nalbari, Satendra Kumar from Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar, Mahesh Kumar Kushwaha from Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur and Sandeep Yadav from Madhya Pradesh's Dewas.

The incident, which occurred ahead of the annual Amarnath Yatra, was condemned by politicians cutting across party lines. A civilian was also injured in the crossfire.

(With inputs from Agencies)