Two militants and a "hardcore" militant associate were killed in an encounter with security forces in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Goripora area of Awantipora in the south Kashmir district in the early hours of Saturday after receiving specific information about the presence of some militants there, a police official said.
The search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon the forces, who retaliated, he said.
In the ensuing gunfight, two militants and one "hardcore" associate of the militants were killed, the official said.
He said searches were going on in the area and further details were awaited.