5 Hizbul militants killed in Kulgam encounter

​Srinagar: Five terrorists have been shot dead by security forces in an encounter at Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam. Three were shot dead in the morning during a cordon and search operation, while two others were killed during the encounter that followed. The security forces said they have found a large number of guns and other weapons at the encounter site. 

The five belonged to the terror groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Hizbul Mujahideen, including one who was involved in last year's attack on a cash van that killed five policemen and two bank guards, a police spokesman said. "First, the civilians were moved away from the site of encounter to safer locations. Security forces then engaged the terrorists," he said.

Train services between Baramulla and Qazigund were stopped, the police said, adding mobile internet has also been snapped. The security forces launched a search operation on getting intelligence inputs that some terrorists have been hiding at Chowgam in the south Kashmir district, 72 km from Srinagar. They were fired upon when they entered the area, leading to the encounter.

The police spokesman said the terrorists have been identified as Gulzar Ahmad Paddar, Faisal Ahmad Rather, Zahid Ahmad Mir, Masroor Molvi and Zahoor Ahmad Lone, all residents of Jammu and Kashmir.