Indian security forces killed two suspected militants in Pulwama’s Khrew town in an encounter on Thursday morning. The Jammu and Kashmir Police said that the two militants were affiliated to the banned outfit Hizbul Mujhaideen.

They said the duo were identified as Adnan Ahmad Lone alias Uqaab, who lived in Braw Bandina area of Awantipora, and Adil Bilal Bhat alias Umair, a resident of Malangpora in Pulwama. The police said their records showed that Adnan Lone was known as the Pulwama district commander for the Hizbul Mujahideen. They also claimed that Lone was a close aide of Hizbul Mujahideen’s operations chief Riyaz Naikoo.

The police statement said they had begun a cordon and search operation at dawn, after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in Khrew, The Indian Express reported. The police claimed the militants fired first, following which a gunfight ensued.

“Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of the encounter,” another police spokesperson said according to Greater Kashmir.

On November 26, security forces killed a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed militant and captured another in a gun battle in Khrew. The police claimed to have recovered an AK-47 rifle, three magazines, two grenades and a pistol from them.