A cordon and search operation was launched by the security forces, after receiving?specific information regarding the presence of a terrorist in the village Khandipora area of Kulgam, a police spokesman said. During the search operation, as the search party approached the suspected spot, the hiding terrorist fired indiscriminately upon the forces, which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter, he added.

?However, in order to evacuate the civilians trapped around the encounter site, the forces ensured the evacuation of all civilians to the safer places, the spokesman said. In the ensuing encounter, a categorized terrorist identified as Rasiq Ahmed Ganie, resident of Shouch Kulgam of proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen was killed, and his body was retrieved from the site of the encounter, he added.?

?As per police records, the killed terrorist was involved in several terror crime cases including attacks on police/security forces, and civilian atrocities, the spokesman said. Incriminating materials, arms, and ammunition including a .303 Rifle along with 23 rounds, a pistol along with 31 rounds, a hand grenade, etc., were recovered from the site of the encounter. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation, the spokesman said.

?Meanwhile, another terrorist was killed in an encounter that broke out in the Pulwama district of south Kashmir later in the day. As the gunfight broke out in the Drabgam area of the district, ?One terrorist was killed during the encounter, the spokesman said.