Srinagar, Jan 24 (IANS): A foreign Jaish-e-Muhammad militant killed in an encounter in South Kashmir on Wednesday has been identified as Abu Saifullah alias Abu Qasim.

According to sources the slain militant was active in Tral and Khrew areas in south Kashmir for more than a year and was an associate of Qari Yasir, a foreign terrorist of the JeM.

A group of two militants were engaged in a fierce gunfight with security forces, while Saifullah was killed, the second militant is believed to have escaped.

Two securitymen were killed in the encounter including a special police officer and an army soldier on January 21 when the encounter began. The militants escaped to the higher reaches but were chased down by the forces the next day.

The operation had begun after specific information about the presence of terrorists.

A search operation by army, police and the CRPF was launched in village Zaintrag on Tuesday during the wee hours on Tuesday.

According to police the slain terrorist was involved in killings post-August 5 abrogation of Article 370. He was also said to be involved in putting posters wherein SPOs were threatened while non-local labourers were told to leave the valley.