Two militants, including a former army soldier, were killed in a gunfight with government forces at Safanagri area in south Kashmir’s Shopian district on Tuesday pre-dawn hours.Official sources told GNS that the gunfight broke out after a joint team of army and SOG launched a cordon-and-search operation at Safanagri following specific inputs about the presence of some militants.A police spokesman in a statement issued here said that in Safanagri area of Zainapora, Shopian, Police and security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the predawn hours today based on credible inputs about the presence of militants in the area.As the search operation was going on, hiding militants fired on the search party. The fire was retaliated leading to an encounter, the spokesman."In the ensuing encounter, two militants were killed and they were identified as Mohd Idrees Sultan alias Chota Abrar son of Mohd Sultan of Safanagri, Shopian and Amir Hussain Rather alias Abu Sobaan son of Mohd Amin Rather of Awneera Shopian. They were affiliated with militant outfit HM and were involved in militant attacks on security establishments and many other civilian atrocities in the area. No collateral damage took place during the operation," the spokesman said.Idress, according to the spokesman, was a former army soldier. He had deserted his JAKLI unit in Bihar in April this year and joined Hizb.Incriminating materials including arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter. Police have registered a case and initiated investigation in the instant matter, he said. Meanwhile, thousands of people attended the funeral prayers of the slain militants and the duo were later laid to rest at their respective native villages. (GNS)