Two militants and one of their associates were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Saturday, the police said.

“Two unidentified terrorists and one hardcore associate of terrorists killed,” the Kashmir Zone Police tweeted. “Search is still going on. Details shall follow.”

Security forces launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Goripora area of Awantipora in the early hours of Saturday after receiving specific information about the presence of militants, an unidentified police official told PTI. He added that the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired at the security forces.

“In the ensuing gunfight, two militants and one hardcore associate of the militants were killed,” the official said.

On Friday, the police in Kulgam district said that they had rescued an abducted police officer and killed two militants in a brief shootout in Shirpora Frisal area.

On Wednesday, four militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Melhura village of Shopian district. Last week, security forces had killed two militants in an encounter in Shopian’s Dairoo area. The encounter had broken out after a search operation for the militants was launched by the Central Reserve Police Force along with 44 Rashtriya Rifles and Special Operation Group.