Srinagar: Two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen militants have been killed in a gunfight with government forces in Khrew area of south Kashmir in Pulwama district Thursday morning.

A police official said that a pre-dawn cordon and search operation was launched jointly by Jammu and Kashmir police, army and paramilitary forces following “credible” inputs about the presence of militants in Sharshali area of Khrew.

“As the searches were going on, the militants fired upon the forces triggering a gunfight, he said.

In the ensuing gunfight, he said, two militants were killed.

The slain militants have been identified as Adil Ahmad Bhat, a resident of Malangpora who was a top commander of A++ category and Adnan Ahmad a resident of Brahbandina area of Awantipora in southern Kashmir’s Pulwama district.

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