The Jammu and Kashmir police on Friday gunned down a top Hizbul Mujaheedin commander.

Reyaz Ahmad Deva had been active in south Kashmir for the past ten years.

A police spokesman said, "Following specific tip off, the Anantnag police laid an ambush in Khuller village in Anantnag district on Friday evening.

"Deva, the district commander, was killed in the encounter, after he walked into the ambush and refused to surrender on being challenged. He was at the top of the most wanted list of the police in south Kashmir Anantnag district."

"He was involved in a number of militancy related incidents in Anantnag, including the killing of three Congress party workers and was responsible for a number of IED blasts on the strategic Srinagar Jammu national highway and other attacks on security forces."

One AK-47 rifle, ammunition and two hand grenades were recovered by the police from the encounter site.

Meanwhile, the state director general of police, Gopal Sharma told a seminar that 1200 militants were still active in the state.