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The slain militants have been identified as Sabzar Ahmad Sofi, a botany scholar and Asif Ahmad Two Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists, including an M.Phil degree holder, were killed in an

encounter with security forces in Nowgam area of the city on Wednesday, police said. The slain terrorists have been identified as Sabzar Ahmad Sofi, a PhD scholar who had joined the militant

ranks, and Asif Ahmad, the official said. Sofi, who was pursuing PhD in Botany from Jamia Millia Islamia New Delhi, had joined the terror ranks in the aftermath of killing of Hizbul

Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in July 2016. He is third highly educated person to have been killed this year after joining terrorist groups. The 33-year old Sofi also held MSC and B.Ed

degrees. Earlier this month, AMU scholar turned militant Manaan Bashir Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces in north Kashmir Kupwara district while an assistant professor

from Kashmir University Mohammad Rafi Bhat was killed in a gunfight in Shopian district two days after joining the militant ranks in May this year. There has been an increasing trend of well

educated youth joining militancy in recent years. Esa Fazli, a engineering graduate from Ghulam Shah Badshah University, was killed in a gun battle earlier this year as well. After

Fazli's joining, an MBA student Junaid Ashraf Sehrai, son of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat Chairman Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, also disappeared to join the militant groups. "The standard

operating procedures were followed during the operation and there was no collateral damage during the encounter," the official added. Acting on a tip off about presence of militants in

Suthu Kothair locality of Nowgam, security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the early hours, a police official said. He said the militants opened fire on security forces

during the search operation, triggering a gunbattle in which two ultras were killed. Incriminating material besides arms and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site, he added.

Clashes broke out between protestors and security forces soon after the encounter ended, he said, adding the law enforcing agencies were engaged in pitched battles with the stone pelters for

most part of the day. Authorities snapped mobile Internet services in the city and shut educational institutions as a precautionary measure.