Three Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on Saturday, officials said.

Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in the upper reaches of forest area of Nagbaeran Tral in the south Kashmir district following inputs about the presence of militants there, the officials said.

They said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants fired upon the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

"In the ensuing gunfight, three terrorists affiliated with JeM outfit were killed," the officials said.

The search operation is going on, they said.

This is the second encounter in the district in as many days.