Four Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists killed and an Army jawan belonging to a cream of the crop para unit was martyred on Tuesday in an encounter in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Two soldiers were also injured in the encounter. Security forces, acting on a trustworthy input about the presence of terrorists in Nadigam area of Shopian, launched a cordon and search operation in the early hours of Tuesday, a police spokesman stated. He also said as the search operation was going on, the terrorists hiding in the area opened fire on the search party of security forces.

"The fire was retaliated by security forces, leading to an encounter”.

In the first exchange of fire, one Army jawan recognized as H C Vijay of 23 Para sustained injuries and was evacuated to the hospital for medical treatment where he succumbed, the spokesman staed. In the consequent gunbattle, four terrorists were eliminated and the bodies retrieved from the site of encounter, he said.

The slain terrorists have been identified as Abid Nazir Chopan, Basharat Nengroo, Mehraj-ud-Din Najar and Malikzada Inam-ul-Haq, the spokesman stated. "

The terrorists were associated with proscribed terror group Hizbul Mujahideen and were involved in attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area.

The spokesman said incriminating material including huge quantity of arms and grenades were recovered from the site of the encounter. Police have registered a case and initiated inquiry in the matter.