Jammu and Kashmir: Security forces gun down Hizbul militant in encounter in Anantnag

A newly recruited Hizbul Mujahideen militant was gunned down in an overnight encounter with security forces that also resulted in the death of an unidentified person in the ensuing crossfire in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, security officials said on Friday.

The encounter broke late last night at Kanibal in Bijbehara of Anantnag district, 55 kms from Srinagar, when the police along with Army and CRPF cordoned off a village following an intelligence input about the presence of militants, they said.

During the encounter, one motorcycle-borne individual, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was found dead with bullet injuries, the officials said, expressing apprehension that he might have died in the crossfire.

The number plate of the vehicle was damaged and no identity card of the deceased was found.

Two mobile phones were recovered from the deceased who was in multi-layered clothing. The telephone contacts in his handset could not immediately help to confirm his identity.

The local police have released his picture for identification.

According to the officials, the body of Yawar was handed over to his family for burial and restrictions were imposed in the town as a preventive measure.