Srinagar, July 15: Six people, including a self-styled Hizbul Mujahideen battalion commander and a junior commissioned officer were killed in separate incidents in Kashmir Valley since last night, official sources said today.

The HM battalion commander Zubair Ahmad Khan alias 'Azad' was killed in an encounter with troops of Rashtriya Rifles during search operations at Kawcharwan in Kangan area on the outskirts of Srinagar last night, the sources said. Khan, one of the most wanted militants, was killed when he ignored the signal of the security forces to surrender and instead opened fire on the search party, they said adding an AK rifle, four magazines with 42 rounds, a hand-grenade and a wireless set were recovered from him.

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of 29 Rashtriya rifles, Ateeq-ur-Rehman and two civilians were killed in a firing incident near palhallan on Srinwgar-Baramulla Highway early today. A defence spokesman, giving details of the incident, said a search party of the army was fired upon by militants in Nela village killing the JCO. The troops fired back and chased the fleeing militants.

While chasing the militants, the troops came across a group of five farmers at village Hyderbaigh. The farmers were challenged by the troops, suspecting them to be militants, the spokesman said, adding two of them tried to escape and were fired upon by the troops resulting in their death. Bureau Report