The anti-terror operation is taking place in Manihal area in Shopian district.
Four Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists were killed in an encounter with security forces on Monday in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
Security forces launched a cordon and search operation in Manihal area of the district around midnight, following information about the presence of terrorists there, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vijay Kumar said.
He said the terrorists refused repeated offers of surrender and opened fire at the forces.
"We appealed to them to surrender and brought their families, including wife and a four-year-old child of a militant, to appeal to them to surrender. But they refused," he said.
Mr Kumar said after the terrorists opened fire at the security forces, there was a gunbattle in which four terrorists were killed.
"All the four were categorised militants belonging to LeT outfit. Although they call themselves as Lashkar-e-Mustafa, they are listed as LeT militants in our records and all these names, including TRF (The Resistance Front) are the offshoots of the LeT or Jaish-e-Mohammad," he said.
The IGP said three pistols and an AK rifle was recovered from the site of the encounter.
The terrorists were identified as Rayees Ahmad Bhat, who was active since October last year, Amir Shafi Mir, active since last month, Raqib Ahmad Malik, active since December last year and Aftab Ahmad Wani, active since November last year.
An Army jawan was injured in the encounter and is undergoing treatment at a hospital here, he added.
The IGP said so far this year nine encounters have taken place in the valley with most of them - eight - in south Kashmir, while one in the north.
"In these nine encounters, 19 terrorists have been killed, out of which nine alone were from Shopian district and two were top commanders," Mr Kumar said.
He said 18 youths have joined the terrorist ranks this year, out of which five have been killed in various encounters and three have been arrested.
"The rest are still active and we have been appealing to their parents to bring them back to the mainstream. Some may return. Also, seven youth who had joined the militancy have been brought back with the help of their families. The parents have increased their trust in the security forces," he added.
Mr Kumar said Pakistan was not refraining from its activities and was using social media for inciting and radicalising youth to join terrorism.