Tuesday, January 17 2006 13:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Two militants, including a self-styled battalion commander of Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM), were killed in an overnight encounter at the residence of a Municipal Councillor, in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district.

HUM commander Bilal Ahmad Shiekh alias Saifullah, who also operated under the code H-3, was killed alongwith his associate Shabir Ahmad Nazir alias Abu Talha in the gunbattle at Hindhitapora in Shopian area late last night, a defence spokesman said today.

The two ultras were hiding in the house of Congress Municipal Councillor Nazir Ahmad when security forces cordoned off the area.

Several instances of politician-militant nexus have come to the fore in recent times, including Sunday's arrest of a PDP Municipal Councillor, along with two militants of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, for allegedly conspiring to assassinate former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed.

Workers of two prominent political parties were among three persons arrested in connection with the murder of then Education Minister Ghulam Nabi Lone on October 18.