Thiruvananthapuram, Oct. 23: Kerala police have confirmed that two suspected militants killed in a gun battle with security forces in the border district of Kupwara in Kashmir early this month were Malayalis, reports our special correspondent.

The slain men were Abdul Rahim from Malappuram and Mohammed Fayaz from Kannur, both in their early 30s and married, special branch officer T.K. Raj Mohan said. Mohan is in Srinagar now.

They both had criminal antecedents, the police said.