A militant was killed in an hour-long encounter with Indian security forces on Thursday early morning in Jammu & Kashmir's Kupwara district; two to three more militants are believed to be holed up in the area.
The gunfight started after security forces received information that a group of militants have infiltrated Salkoot village in Kupwara, the district bordering Pakistan.
When the Army neared the location of the militants' hideout, they opened fire on the security forces, triggering an hour-long gun battle.
"When the security forces closed on the hiding militants they started firing that triggered an encounter in the area...," a senior police officer had told IANS.
Reports suggest that a soldier of the Army has been injured in the encounter.
The encounter comes two days before the state goes for the fifth and final phase of polling on 20 December for assembly elections.
Earlier in December, 11 personnel from security forces were killed along with six militants after an encounter broke out in the Army's camp in Uri. The militants had also planted grenade bombs at three places including a bus stand in Pulwama's Tral area and near a police station in Shopian.
