Srinagar, Aug 7 - Three separatist guerrillas were killed in a gunfight in a thickly forested area of north Kashmir Friday, a defence spokesman here said.

Army troops and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the police had surrounded the forest area of Vewan in Bandipore district Thursday afternoon on a specific information about the presence of a group of heavily armed guerrillas, he said.

'During the searches, security forces came under fire from hiding militants and the fire was returned, triggering a gunfight that is still on. So far three militants have been killed,' the spokesman said this evening.

Lt Col Uma Maheshwar, spokesman of the army's 15 Corps, told IANS: 'The area is still under cordon and searches are on.'

Arms and ammunition have also been recovered from the site.

The army has been involved in massive combing operations along the Line of Control (LoC) along Kupwara district in the past three days during which six guerrillas have been gunned down and three infiltration bids from across the LoC foiled.