Shutdown is being observed in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday to mourn the killings of two militants in a gunfight with the forces.
Two Hizb ul Mujahideen militants, Liyaqat Wani and Wajid ul Islam — both residents of Pulwama — were killed in a gunfight with the government forces in Tikken area early today.
The gunfight broke out after the state police and the forces lanched a cordon and search operation (CASO) in Tikken area based on “credible” inputs about the presence of militants in the area, said a police official.
As the search operation was going on, he said, the hiding militants fired on the search party. “The fire was retaliated, leading to an encounter,” he said.
In the ensuing gunfight, two militants were killed whose bodies were retrieved from the site of the gunfight, he said.
“Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Police has registered a case and initiated investigation in the instant matter,” said the official.