Jammu, Aug 25 - A Hizbul Mujahideen militant was killed as security forces raided a hideout of the guerrillas in a mountainous area of Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district early Tuesday, police said.

The gunfight in the upper reaches of Mahore in Reasi district, 150 km from here, is still on.

Police officials said security forces reached the suspected hideout of the militants early in the morning following a tip-off from locals.

Militants were reported to be firing their automatic assault rifles and also hurling grenades at the security forces, who were moving cautiously as the guerrillas were constantly shifting their positions in the forests, an official said.

The operation is being carried out by a joint team of the Indian Army and the state police. The body of the Hizbul Mujahideen militant has not yet been recovered.

This is the fourth major operation in Mahore in the past fortnight.

Earlier, security forces killed eight militants in three different operations on Aug 10, 14 and 17 in the same area. The area, which has many caves, offers hiding places to militants.