Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists killed in encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama; gunmen identified as close aides of Riyaz Naikoo

Two terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Thursday. According to reports, the terrorists have been identified as Adnan Ahmad Lone and Adil Bilal Bhat. They were reportedly affliated to the Hizbul Mujahideen terror group.

According to ANI , the Jammu and Kashmir Police said that there was no collateral damage in the encounter that took place in Khrew, in the district. The police had launched a joint operation with security forces in the area after receiving credible information about the presence of the terrorists. Arms and ammunition were recovered from the site.

CNN-News18 reported that Lone and Bhat were close aides of Hizbul chief Riyaz Naikoo. The report also said that the encounter was brief, and lasted for about an hour.

#NewsAlert -- Terrorist Riyaz Naikoo's aides killed in Pulwama encounter | @islahmufti with more details pic.twitter.com/s5uhUecds6

— News18 (@CNNnews18) November 29, 2018

Thursday’s encounter comes a day after security forces killed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Naveed Jatt, who was a prime suspect in the murder of senior Kashmiri journalist Shujaat Bukhari on 14 June. Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbagh Singh on Wednesday confirmed that Jatt was killed in an encounter earlier in the Budgam district of the state.

With inputs from agencies