Three Hizbul Mujahideen terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, police said.

Based on specific inputs about the presence of terrorists in the Srichand Top forest area in Pahalgam, Anantnag, security forces launched a cordon and search operation there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the hiding terrorists fired at the security forces.

In retaliation, three terrorists were killed, the official said.