Srinagar, June 27 (UNI) Three days ahead of the Amarnath Yatra, security forces shot dead two Lashkar-e-Taiba militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Monday, officials said. Inspector General of Police, Kashmir Vijay Kumar termed the killing of two LeT militants at Nowpora-Kherpora in Trubji village as an important operation. "The encounter site is very close to NHW (Yatra route) and LeT (TRF) has been issuing threats to Yatra," he said. Police said the gun battle took place during a joint cordon and search operation, which was launched by Police, Army and CRPF, following a specific information generated by Police regarding the presence of militants in the village. Police said during the search operation, as the joint search party approached towards the suspected spot, the hiding militants fired indiscriminately upon the joint search party which was retaliated, leading to an encounter. "However in order to evacuate the civilians trapped around the encounter site, the joint team ensured the evacuation of all civilians to safer places. In the ensuing encounter, two local terrorists of proscribed terror outfit LeT were killed," a police spokesman said. They have been identified as Zubair Ahmad Mir of Qaimoh Kulgam and Idrees Ahmad Dar resident of Kulpora Kulgam. "As per police records, the slain terrorists were categorised and involved in several terror crime cases, such as attacks on Police/security forces and civilian atrocities, including killing of PRIs," he added. Incriminating materials, arms and ammunition were recovered from the site of encounter, police said.