A suspected militant was killed in an encounter with the security forces in Baramulla district’s Sopore area in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, the Hindustan Times reported.

Troopers of the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit and the Special Operations Group of the state police had surrounded the Reban village on the outskirts of Sopore town after receiving intelligence about a militant hideout.

An unidentified police officer said, the militants in hiding had opened fire as the cordon was tightened. The gunfight began after security forces retaliated.

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All educational institutes have been shut down in Sopore. Internet services have also been suspended in the area.

The encounter comes ahead of Home Affairs Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit to four-day Srinagar starting Saturday in an attempt to end the crisis in Jammu and Kashmir. He will meet Governor NN Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and a number of other quarters, including students and traders.