Srinagar, Jul 18 (PTI) An encounter broke out between security forces and militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district on Sunday, police said here.

The security forces had launched a cordon-and-search operation in the Check Sadiq Khan area of the south Kashmir district, following information about the presence of militants there, a police official said.

He said the search operation turned into an encounter after the militants opened fire towards the security forces' positions.

The security forces retaliated, triggering a gunbattle that was going on when the last reports came in, the official said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)