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SRINAGAR: Security forces gunned down four unidentified terrorists in a forest area in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Tuesday.

Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said the encounter was triggered when terrorists fired at a joint party of the Army and Special Operations Group (SOG) of Jammu and Kashmir police in Halmatpora area. The operation was also aided by the Army's Para Commandos.

Col Kalia said security men conducted combing operations after the encounter to trace the other members of the terrorist group, adding that the bodies were not immediately retrievable because of continuous firing by remaining militants.

Sources said the security forces installed searchlights in the area to aid the searches. Three bodies were recovered, while the search for the fourth one continued till late at night.

Kupwara SSP said security forces were trying to identify the bodies. They also launched a cordon-and-search operation in adjacent forest areas, including Gulgam and Awoora.

A police officer said that a joint team of Army's 41 Rashtriya Rifles and SOG launched the operation following inputs about the movement of seven foreign terrorists in the area.

