Srinagar: What could be a major setback for Pakistan based terror outfit operating in Kashmir valley, top Hizbul Mujahideen commander Hammad Khan was on Sunday killed alongwith two other terrorists during an encounter by security forces in Tral area of Pulwama district.
A senior police official said that apart from Hasmmad Khan, two more terrorist were neutralised by the security forces.
The police official said that Hammad had taken over as Hizbul commander after the Sabzar Ahmad Bhat was neutrtalised by the security forces in an encounter in Tral in May 2017.
On Sunday morning, the security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Gulshanpora area of Tral in the south Kashmir after receiving specific inputs about the presence of a few terrorists in a residential building.
As the security forces were carrying out the search operation, holed up terrorists resorted to firing from inside, triggering a gunbattle which ended after the three terrorists were killed.
Though the encounter has ended, the search operation continues in the area, said the police official.