An SPO-turned Hizbul Mujahiden militant was killed Saturday evening in an encounter with security forces at Gundpora village in southern Pulwama district.Police has identified the militant as Raqib Bashir son of Syed Bashir Ahmad of Zadoora village of the district. Raqib had joined HM in November last year after being an SPO for one day in police. Later, he was working as security guard at JK Bank ATM.Police said that after getting the inputs about presence of militants at Veerbagh and Gundpora villages of the district SOG wing of Jammu and Kashmir police, 55 RR and 183 and 182 battalions of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) cordoned off the village and started search operations.“After launching search operations in the village we zeroed in the militant in a house and got him killed in a brief exchange of fire,” Senior Superintendent of Police Pulwama, Tejinder Singh told KNS.SSP also said that they have recovered a hand grenade and a pistol from the slain militant’s possession. (KNS)