Giving details of the operation, deputy inspector ceneral of police, central Kashmir Range, Abdul Gani Mir said that security forces achieved a major success when on a tip off police and 5 Rashtriya Rifles launched a search operation in the forest area of Gutlibagh in north Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Wednesday.
"Two militants of Hizbul Mujaheedin outfit hiding in the area opened fire on the search party, which was returned triggering an encounter. In the ensuing encounter two militants, one of whom identified as Mushtaq Khan alias Mushtaq Janghi, were killed. During the gunfight one militant was arrested," he added.
The DIG said that Mushtaq Janghi was active since the inception of militancy and he was the longest surviving militant in the Valley. He further said that the slain commander of Hizbul Mujaheedin was involved in the killing of about 25 civilians.
The DIG said that the operation is still going on.
"The bodies of the slain militants have been retrieved from the forest. Two AK 47 rifles, four AK magazines and one Chinese grenade were recovered from the killed militants," he also said.