JAMMU: Two villagers were shot dead by militants in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir.

While informing this the police said here on Saturday that  militants shot dead Imtiyaz Ahmed Mir, a former insurgent, in Kuchal village of Chatroo area in the district Friday, police said.

The ultras then barged into the house of one Bashir Ahmed Hajam-an, an employee of Public Health Engineering (PHE), in the same village and killed him, they said.

Mir, who was arrested by police in 2006 for indulging in militant activities in Nowgam area of Kashmir Valley, was later released by the court in February this year.

The militants had probably killed the duo on the pretext of being informers, sources said.

Police and security forces have launched operation to track down the militants responsible for the killings.