Two militants killed in Kashmir encounter

Two militants were killed in a fierce encounter in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Saturday.

Police said acting on specific information about the presence of armed militants in village Bakhi-Hakhar area of Handwara, police and the 21-Rashtriya Rifles unit of the army, laid a siege of the area on Friday night.

"The advance party was fired upon by the militant which was retaliated, thus triggering an encounter. The operation was suspended for the night which resumed on Saturday morning", a police spokesman said.

"Militants remained holed-up in a mud hut and continued firing on security forces. In the exchange of fire, two unidentified militants were killed this afternoon, and two AK 47 Rifles, 7-AK magazines and some rounds were recovered from the encounter site", he said.

Search operation is still going on, the spokesman added.

 This was the second encounter in the district in last one week and third this month. Earlier five top militant commanders of Lashkar-e-Tayiba outfit were killed in a fierce encounter in Maidanpora village in Kupwara district.