Srinagar: At least 12 militants were killed in three separate gun-battles with security forces today (Feb 5, 2004) in North Kashmir's Kupwara and Baramulla districts, official sources said.

Nine of them were killed in an ongoing encounter at Kandi in Kupwara this afternoon, they said.

However, bodies of only six have been recovered so far, the sources said.

The encounter broke out when hiding militants opened fire on a joint team of security forces and police who laid a cordon in the area following information about presence of ultras there.

Superintendent of police Kupwara Sunil Dutt is supervising the on-going operation, they said.

Two more militants were killed in an encounter at Chatti village in Kupwara this morning, the sources said.

They said another militant was killed in a gun battle with security forces in Bandipura area of Baramulla district.

The affiliations of the militants were not immediately known, he said.