Four militants, including a top Pakistani commander of Hizbul Mujahideen, and an Army jawan were among six persons killed in separate militancy-related incidents in Jammu and Kashmir [Images] since last night, official sources said in Srinagar [Images] on Thursday.

Bilal Ahmed, the top commander of Hizbul Mujahideen outfit, who hails from Pakistan, was killed in an encounter with security forces at Gagangir, 80 km from here on Srinagar-Kargil road this morning, the sources said.

They said two militants and an Army jawan were killed in another encounter that broke out at Bonibagh village in Kangan, 40 km from here on the same road on Wednesday night. Two AK rifles and some ammunition were recovered from the slain militants whose identity is being ascertained, the sources said.

In another gun battle, an unidentified militant was shot dead by security forces in Kund village of Qazigund, 80 km from Srinagar in Anantnang district, the sources said. Militants last night barged into the house of one Hasina Akhtar in Dangiwacha area of Baramullah district and shot her dead, police said adding that the incident was being investigated.

Meanwhile, security forces averted a major tragedy on Thursday as they detected an improvised explosive device on Bijbehara area along Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The explosive was detected by a foot patrol party of security forces and later defused by the bomb disposal squad of police.