Srinagar: Security forces on October 21 morning rescued all the eight civilians taken hostage by militants in a house in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir since October 20, police sources said.

The civilians are safe, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the operation to flush out the holed up militants from the house began at around nine on October 21 morning, they said, adding it is still on, they added.

The civilians, including a Muslim cleric, had been taken hostage after they were sent in to negotiate surrender of the militants.

PTI