Srinagar: Two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists gunned down in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday, as A the leading news agency ANI reported.

They have been identified as Altaf Ahmad Dar (top HM commander) and Umar Rashid Wani. Police has registered a case and investigation has been initiated.

 Altaf Kachru, one of the oldest Hizbul Mujahideen militants operating in the Kashmir Valley was involved in many cases including killing of policemen.

"It was a specific operation and in a swift action both the terrorists involved in several cases of civilian atrocities and attacks on policemen were eliminated," Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, S P Pani said to the Times now. Briefing the details of the encounter, police said security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Muniward village in Khanabal area of the district early this morning following specific information about the being of militants there. An encounter ensued when the terrorist opened fire on the forces, an official informed.

There has been an unexpected spurt in the terrorist activities in the Kashmir Valley with several incidents of attack on security forces and civilians reported in recent times.

Three days back, a terrorist linked to the JeM was killed by the security forces in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district. The slain militant was a Pakistani national.