A spokesman for the army says the troops, acting on a tip-off, had launched a cordon and search operation in Buchoo Bala village when they came under fire from a nearby forest.
“We lost three boys,” the spokesman told Freepress.
Another soldier who was wounded in the gunfight succumbed to his injuries later.
The army spokesman said it was a huge loss.
The Inspector General of Police, Abdul Gani Mir confirmed that a militant who was firing at the troops was also killed.
He said the security forces have cordoned off a larger area including the nearby forests to search out the militants.
Militancy has been on the decline in Jammu and Kashmir state for nearly a decade now. However sporadic incidents have been taking place.
The army spokesman says the latest incident shows that violence may have declined but has not been completely stamped out.
(Free Press Kashmir)
