A Hizbul Mujahideen militant hiding inside a mosque was shot dead by security forces after a four hour-seize. The incident took in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir [Images] on Thursday, official sources said.

A search party had seized the mosque in Akoora, in the temple township of Mattan, 80 kms from Srinagar [Images], after it was fired at by the militant from inside the mosque at around 1130 hrs, the sources said. The mosque has suffered no damage.

The deceased militant has been identified as Mohammad Yousuf [Images] Bhat, a local affiliated with Hizbul Mujahideen, a defence spokesman said.

Deputy inspector general of police, south Kashmir, Sheikh Owais Ahmad said the search party exercised utmost restraint, keeping in view the sanctity of the mosque. The controlled retaliatory fire was followed by teargas shelling by security forces to flush out the hiding militant to avoid any damage to the mosque, he said.

The strategy worked, as the militant came out but continued firing on the security forces beseiging the mosque from outside, despite repeated warnings to surrender. The troops fired back and killed him, they said, adding some arms and ammunition were recovered from the deceased.