Srinagar, August 20: A Hizbul Mujahideen commander and his associate were killed in an encounter that at Khrew, Pampore area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, police said on Friday.

A police official said that a joint teams of Police, Army’s 50 RR and CRPF launched a Cordon and Search Operation (CASO) on a specific information about the presence of militants in Khrew, Pampore area.

During search operation militants were given repeated surrender offers, however, they turned it down, he said.

The official said that as the joint teams of forces approached towards the suspected house, the hiding militants opened fire, which was retaliated, after which heavy exchange of gunfire took place.

In the ensuing gunfight two militants were killed which includes Musaib a resident of Khrew was part of Hizb’s hit Squad while as other has been identified as Muzamil Ahmad from Chakoora, Pulwama.

A police spokesperson in a statement said that acting on a specific information generated by Awantipora Police about presence of militants in Khrew area of Pampore, a joint cordon and search operation was launched by Police, 50RR, 185Bn CRPF in the area.

During the search operation as the presence of militants got ascertained they were given repeated opportunities to surrender, however, they fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated leading to an encounter, he said.

“In the ensuing encounter, two militants of HM were killed and their bodies were retrieved from the site of encounter. They have been identified as Musaib Ahmad Bhat resident of Khrew Pampore and Muzamil Ahmad Rather resident of Chakoora Pulwama,” he said.

The police spokesman said that as per police records, the killed militant Musaib Mushtaq had a history of militancy and was involved in planning and executing several attacks including civilian atrocities. “He was also involved in killing of a civilian Javid Ahmad Malik (Peon) at Lurgam area of Tral and part of a hit squad of Hizbul Mujahideen responsible for civilian killing in South Kashmir,” the spokesman said, adding that another killed militant Muzamil Ahmad had joined militant ranks recently.

The police spokesman said that arms ammunition including 01 AK-rifle and 01 pistol were also recovered from the site of encounter. “All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation and to probe their complicity in other crimes,” the spokesman said.

Defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel Emron Musavi said that the hiding militants asked to surrender time and again, but they refused. “Intermittent exchange of fire continued throughout the night. At around 6:30 AM, one militant tried to escape from the house, by firing on the troops, but he was killed,” he said, adding that “The second militant continued to fire from the house but was contained in the house by the troops on ground. By 9:15 AM, the second militant was also neutralised.” kno