Three Hizbul terrorists killed in encounter

Three terrorists of the Hizbul Mujahideen terror outfit including a divisional commander were killed in a south Kashmir encounter in Srinagar on Monday.

The police said troops of the 44-Rashtriya Rifles and special operations group of the state police had surrounded the village of Shalidar Nassarpora in south Kashmir's Pulwama district early on Monday morning after they received specific information that a group of heavily armed HM terrorists were hiding in the area.

"As the security forces started searching the village, the militants opened fire at them. The army personnel returned the fire. At the end of the encounter, all the three holed-up terrorists were killed," a police spokesman said.

The slain terrorists included HM divisional commander Saqib and Riyaz Paswal. The third militant is yet to be identified, the spokesman said.

Two AK-56 rifles, a AK-47 rifle, one pistol, 278 rounds, 14 magazines, one wireless set, a satellite phone and three mobile sets were recovered from the slain militants.