The spokesman said the terrorists were "involved in a series of terror attacks on security establishments and many other atrocities against civilians in the area"

Srinagar: Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists were shot dead in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Tikken area of Pulwama in south Kashmir this morning after receiving specific information about the presence of terrorists there, a police spokesman said.

He said as the forces were conducting the searches, the terrorists opened fire on them.

The forces retaliated and in the ensuing encounter, two terrorists were killed, the spokesman said.

The terrorists were identified as Liyaqat Munir Wani, a resident of the Below Dargund area in Pulwama, and Wajid Ul Islam, a resident of the Babhar area in the district, he said.

The spokesman said the terrorists were "involved in a series of terror attacks on security establishments and many other atrocities against civilians in the area".

"Arms and ammunition including AK and INSAS rifle and other incriminating materials were recovered from the encounter site. The INSAS rifle seized from the encounter site was the same rifle which terrorists had snatched from Murran, Pulwama, earlier," the spokesman said.