Security forces on Friday shot dead six Lashkar-e-Toiba militants during an encounter in a forest area of Anantnag district in Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

“In one of the most successful operations this year, six Lashkar militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Wagahama area of Bijbehara in Anantnag district,” a police spokesman said.

The security forces had launched an operation in the foothills of Wagahama Suktipora on Thursday night following information about presence of militants at a hideout there, he said. “The search operation turned into an encounter when the hiding militants opened firing on the security forces. In the retaliatory action, six militants were killed and six weapons recovered from the hideout,” he said.

The militants were identified as Azad Malik, Unais Shafi, Shahid Bashir, Basit Ishtiyaq, Aqib Najar and Firdous Najar, all local residents, he said.