Three suspected militants were killed in a gun fight with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Wednesday.

The encounter broke out in the district’s Kangan area, the police said. A joint team of the police, the Indian Army and the Central Reserve Police Force launched a cordon and search operation after receiving inputs about the presence of militants in the area. A gunfight began after the militants fired at the security forces.

The Army said the three people belonged to the Jaish-e-Mohammed group but did not identify them. “A joint operation was launched in the early hours today on specific intel,” the Army said in a statement. “The terrorists opened fire on security forces. A firefight ensued and three terrorists of JeM [Jaish-e-Mohammed], including an improvised explosive device were killed.”

On Tuesday, security forces had killed two suspected militants in Pulwama’s Tral town. A day before that, the Army had killed three militants in a counter-infiltration operation along the Line of Control in Naushera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir had also averted a major car bomb attack after they detected a vehicle carrying 40 kg of improvised explosive device in Pulwama district last month.

There has been a rise in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir over the last two months. At least 30 security personnel, including officers, have died. During this period, 38 militants have also been shot dead by security forces.