Srinagar: Two separatist guerrillas and a soldier were killed on Friday in a gunfight in Kupwara district of the Kashmir Valley, police said.

"A soldier and two militants were killed on Friday in a fierce encounter between the security forces and the militants in Rajwar forest area in Kupwara district," a senior police officer told IANS in Srinagar.

"Following specific information about a group of heavily armed militants hiding inside the Rajwar forest area, the security forces launched a cordon operation in the forest," the officer said.

"When hiding militants were challenged, they resorted to heavy firing at the security forces, triggering an encounter, which is still on," the police officer said.

On Thursday, three guerrillas were killed in Poonch district of Jammu region when alert army men foiled an infiltration bid from across the Line of Control (LoC) into the Indian side from Pakistan-administered part of the state.

Kupawara district has been under guerilla attack repeatedly in recent times. There was a gun battle last month too. Colonel Santosh Mahadik lost his life a few weeks ago in Kupawara.

Kupawara is situated close to Pakistan occupied Kashmir. The Insurgency in Kashmir has been a huge problem for India and there has been a loss of several lives, both army personnel and civilians.

(IANS)