Security forces on Thursday said they had gunned down five top Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commanders, including the group’s Jammu and Kashmir chief Farooq Ahmad Bhat, during a six-hour operation in Kulgam.

Two soldiers were injured and have been admitted to the army hospital in Srinagar where their condition is stated to be stable.

These are the biggest militant casualties in a single operation in months.

The forces said Bhat was the longest surviving militant in Jammu and Kashmir and was named in 37 FIRs in different police stations across Kashmir.

Police sources said Bhat was an associate of Hizb poster boy Burhan Wani, who was killed in 2016. Wani’s killing had triggered a months-long unrest that left around 100 dead in firing by security forces.

Brigadier Anirudh Chouhan, Commander 2 Sector of the Rashtriya Rifles, said they had been tracking the movements of the group for the past two months and the breakthrough came on Wednesday evening after inputs suggested the militants were in the Kaddir area of Kulgam in south Kashmir.

Brigadier Chouhan said the operation was launched at 3.30am, which took the militants by surprise.

“After around 20 minutes, the terrorists opened indiscriminate fire from multiple locations. Our jawans responded to the fire. They (the militants) were pinned down completely and their attempt to escape was aborted,” the officer told a media conference.

The brigadier said they had to tread cautiously to ensure there was no collateral damage. He said civilians were safely evacuated before the final assault was launched.

He said all five militants were top commanders and had been active for years.

The DIG of south Kashmir, Javaid Mattu, who was also present at the media conference, said Bhat had joined the Hizb in 2015 and was an accused in 37 FIRs.

“It tells you about his involvement (in militancy) and how dangerous he was,” Mattu said.

The other militants killed in the operation were identified as Adil Hussain, Mushtaq Ahmad Itoo, Irfan Yaqoob, Aadil Hajam and Yasir Javed.

The police and the army called the operation a big setback for militants, particularly for the Hizb.

Brigadier Chouhan said it had wiped the Hizb out of Kulgam and Shopian districts.

The army, police and the CRPF were part of the operation.