Seven militants were killed by the army in an ongoing fierce encounter in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Monday.

A defence spokesman said an army patrol was fired upon by a group of heavily armed militants in the forested area of Dardpora.

“The troops returned the fire triggering an encounter. More reinforcements were rushed to the area and a fierce gunfight ensued. So far, seven militants have been killed and the operation is still on,” the spokesman said.

He said a huge cache of arms and ammunition were recovered from the slain militants.

The identity of the slain militants has not been established yet. “The area was thickly forested and more militants are believed to be hiding there,” the spokesman said.