Three militants killed in J&K gunfight (Lead)

Srinagar : Three militants were killed and two soldiers injured on Sunday in a gunfight with the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district, police said.

A joint operation was launched by the troops of Rashtriya Rifles (RR), the state police's Special Operations Group (SOG) and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) after receiving information about the presence of militants in Laroo village.

"As the cordon around the hiding militants was tightened, they fired at the security forces triggering the gunfight. Two of the slain militants were Pakistanis while the third was a local," police sources said.

Clashes between civilian protesters and the security forces erupted near the gunfight site.

Authorities have suspended both mobile telephone and internet services in Kulgam district as precautionary measure.