A top commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen [Images] was on Saturday gunned down in the ongoing encounter between security forces and militants in the Budhal area of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir [Images], official sources in Jammu said.

"Based on specific information about the presence of three militants, including HM top commander, a joint search operation was launched late on Friday night by the troops of 160 Rashtriya Rifles and police in remote village Dodriman in tehsil Budhal," the sources told UNI.

The militants, however, on seeing the security forces fired at them, which was retaliated triggering into a fierce gunbattle, the sources said.

"The top HM commander, identified as Abu Ubeda, was killed in wee hours while the encounter is in progress," the sources added.

One AK rifle was also recovered from the site of the encounter.