Srinagar: Police on said that a joint team of army and Police in the wee hours of Thursday  launched a cordon and search operation at Shartgund Bala area of Qalamabad in Handwara.

“During the searches, the hiding militants fired on the search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter. Consequently, the civilians in the nearby areas were evacuated.  Further following the SOP attempts to make the militants’ surrender failed,” police stated.

The police stated that in the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed.

“In the operation, no collateral damage has taken place”.

“Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter,” he said.

Later police identified the two militants killed in Handwara encounter as Manan Wani and Ashiq Hussain of HM outfit.

Wani was a scholar turned militant commander and hailed from Tiki Pora, Sogam, Lolab area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.

Hussain was a resident of Tulwari Langate.

The gunfight broke out after a joint team of army’s 30 RR and SOG cordoned off Shatgund Balla area during wee hours today.

Police has registered a case in this regard and the investigation has been initiated in an instant manner, the spokesman said