Three unidentified militants were killed in a day-long encounter between forces and the militants at Hapatnar area of Charar-e-Sharief in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district, a police officer confirmed to KNO, on Monday.A top police officer said that acting on a specific intelligence input about the presence of a group of militants in Hapatnar area, a joint team of police, army and the CRPF launched a cordon to track the militants early in the morning.“A group of militants believed to be two to three in number hiding in a hideout opened indiscriminate fire at the forces triggering a fierce gun-battle,” the officer said, wishing not to be named.He said that the forces took their time to track down the militants given “tough terrain, slippery conditions due to continuous snow and rainfall in the area.”The officer said that the operation could have been completed soon had the weather been fair. “There was less visibility and that the area where the militants were hiding was dense. The area comprises a tough terrain that’s why forces went for a deliberate operation,” he said.(KNO)