Security forces in Kashmir’s Pulwama on Monday shot dead two militants, including a Lashkar-e-Toiba operative who had been evading arrest for nearly a decade.

The encounter in south Kashmir’s Pulwama came as the Valley is anxiously waiting for the results of the Lok Sabha polls.

Official sources said that one of the slain militants was top LeT commander Riyaz Ahmad Dar alias Khalid alias Sheeraz, a resident of Sethar Gund Kakapora in Pulwama who was active for the last nine years.

It is rare for militants to last nearly a decade in the face of a massive security presence in every nook and corner of Kashmir.

“He was in his mid-30s and had joined militancy in 2015 when the new-age militancy phenomenon (where militants took to social media to publicise their baptism into militancy) was taking roots in Kashmir. His killing is a big setback for the LeT,” an official said.

Police said the encounter between militants and the joint forces started at Nihama Pulwama area early in the morning during a cordon-and-search operation by joint forces.

“The joint operation was launched last night following an input. This morning as the joint team of security forces approached the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately upon them, which was retaliated effectively leading to an encounter. In the encounter that lasted several hours, two terrorists were killed,” a police officer said.

He said the two militants were given an opportunity to surrender but they did not heed the calls and opened fire on the joint forces.

A house where the militants were believed to be trapped caught fire during the exchange of fire.