Lashkar commander among 2 terrorists killed in Pulwama encounter

Two Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists, including a self-styled commander of the outfit, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Monday, the police said.

Inspector general of police, Kashmir, VK Birdhi said the ultras -- identified as Riyaz Dar and Rayees Dar -- were killed in the exchange of firing during a cordon and search operation in Nihama area of the south Kashmir district..

Riyaz Dar was a "commander" of the banned LeT and was wanted in several terror cases. He had been evading security forces for many years.

Security forces had launched the operation after receiving specific inputs about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.

The militants opened fire on members of a search party and the two terrorists were killed in the ensuing encounter, the official said.