A top Hizbul Mujahideen militant was today killed in an encounter with security forces in the Kashmir Valley in Shopian. Officials said, that Mohammad Zahid alias Abu Zaid, a resident of Doda district in Jammu region, was killed after a brief exchange of firing with security forces at Tharina village in Keller area of Shopian, 60 kms from Srinagar. They said Zahid opened indiscriminate firing on security personnel and was killed in retaliatory action. One AK rifle and some ammunition have been seized from the slain militant.In Reasi district, a militant hideout was busted by the security forces and a huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered. Defence officials said that, in a joint operation, troops of Counter Insurgency Force and the J&K Police busted a natural cave hideout near Nala in vicinity of Malhas village last night. The recovered cache of arms hidden by terrorists were very potent, lethal and capable of causing lot of damage of life and property.