Two militants of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen outfit were killed in a gunfight with the government forces in Khrew area of Awantipora in south Kashmir on Thursday morning, police said.A police spokesman said that a cordon and search operation was launched before dawn jointly by the police and forces following "credible" inputs about the presence of militants in Sharshali area of Khrew."As the searches were going on, the search party was fired upon by the militants. The fire was retaliated, leading to a gunfight," he said.In the ensuing gunfight, he said, two militants were killed.He identified the slain as Adnan Lone and Adil Bhat. Both the slain, he said, were affiliated with Hizb ul Mujahideen.“Both the slain militants were close associates of top Hizb commander Riyaz Naikoo,” said the police. Awantipora and its adjacent areas witnessed a spontaneous shutdown against the killing of these two militant.Multiple rounds of funeral prayers were held for these two militants at their native places.Witnesses said that three rounds of funeral prayers were held for Adnan Lone and four rounds for Adil Bhat.They said that thousands of people took part in the funeral prayers held at their native villages. (CNS)