Three Army jawans were killed and two others injured in a fierce gunbattle with infiltrating militants near the Line of Control in Kupwara district last night, official sources said.
Troops of 19 Rajput Rifles of the Army noticed movement of heavily-armed militants near Temple Post at Furkian Gali near LoC late last evening, the sources said.
They said the militants were challenged by the troops but the ultras opened firing, leading to heavy exchange of firing between the two sides.
Two army jawans died on the spot while three others were injured, the sources said, adding one of the injured jawans succumbed to injuries at 92 Base Hospital at Badamibagh cantonment.
The sources said the militants have managed to break free from the army cordon and might have slipped back across the LoC to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
However, the army said the operation was still in progress.
This is the second infiltration bid from across the LoC in the last three days. An infiltration bid was foiled on July 27 when foreign ministers of India and Pakistan were holding talks in New Delhi.
A JCO was killed and two jawans injured in that operation.