The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday claimed two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district the night before. Security personnel were not injured in the gun battle, they added.

The gunfight took place during a cordon-and-search operation in the Sangam area of Bijbehara town. The security forces recovered weapons, including a AK-47 rifle, a pistol, and ammunition from the site. The suspected militants have not yet been identified.

Earlier this week, three Hizbul Mujahideen militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district. The militants – Jangeer Rafiq Wani, Raja Umar Maqbool Bhat and Uzair Amin Bhat – were allegedly involved in a series of terror acts, including the killing of two civilians in Tral, between November 2019 and February 2020.