Srinagar: Four militants and one para commando have been killed in an early morning gunfight in southern Kashmir’s Shopian village Tuesday.

The gunfight erupted in Nadigam village of the district around 3 am after the government forces including the army, J&K police and paramilitary launched a search operation in the village.

As the government forces, after specific inputs about the presence of militants in the village, zeroed in on the spot where militants were suspected to be hiding, the militants, reports said, fired at the forces triggering a gunfight.

During the initial exchange of fire, sources said, a 23 Para soldier was killed and two others were injured.

As the forces intensified the operation, sources said, all the four militants trapped in the gunfight were killed.

They said that the bodies of all the four militants were recovered besides, a cache of arms & ammunition.