The security forces, including personnel from the Rashtriya Rifles (RR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the state police cordoned off Drabgam village receiving a tip-off about holed-up militants. ANI

Our Correspondent

Srinagar, April 30  

Two Hizbul Mujahideen militants, including Sameer Ahmed Bhat, alias Sameer Tiger, were killed in the Pulwama encounter on Monday, said officials.

Earlier, two Army men, including a major, were injured in the gunfight between militants and security forces in Drubgam village of Pulwama, officials said.

The two militants were trapped in the area, the officials added.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Drabgam area after receiving information about the presence of two to three militants in the area, a police official said.(Read: Sameer Tiger found death waiting in village he called home)As the security forces were closing in, the militants opened indiscriminate fire on them, the official said.

The civilian was killed when security forces were trying to chase away a stone-pelting mob, they said.

Civilians wanted to throng the encounter site so that the militants could run away, an official said.

Around noon, security personnel, who were fighting stone pelting from the civilians, fired at heavily at the house, thereby creating an explosion, officials said.

About an hour later, the first militant, identified as Aaquib Mushtaq, was killed. He was a local resident belonging to Pulwama’s Rajpora area.

One of the injured is a Major-rank officer, who has hit by a bullet in the arm. Both the injured soldiers were evacuated to the Army’s 92 base hospital for treatment, the officials said.The civilian killed in the clashes was identified as Shahid Ahmad Dar, they said, adding that the circumstances in which the 25-year-old youth was killed are being ascertained. With Agencies