Three terrorists were killed, while one surrendered before security forces during an encounter in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, police said

The security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Kanigam area of the South Kashmir district during the night following information about the presence of terrorists there, a police official said.

He said as the presence of four newly recruited local terrorists of Al-Badr outfit got ascertained, the security forces exercised maximum restraint and tried their best to persuade them to surrender.

The terrorists turned down the offer to surrender and opened firing and lobbed a grenade on the security forces, the official said.

The security forces retaliated, ensuing an encounter, the official said.

However, during the encounter one of the terrorists surrendered before the security forces while three others were killed.

The surrendered militant has been identified as Tausif Ahmad, the official said.