Srinagar, Sep 20 (IANS): Four militants were killed Saturday by the Indian Army in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district along the Line of Control (LoC), police said.

Heavily armed militants were surrounded by the soldiers near the LoC in Tangdhar sector during the intervening night of Sep 19 and Sep 20, police said.

"Following intelligence inputs, the army challenged the militants in Tangdhar sector Saturday morning," police said.

"The militants started firing at the soldiers triggering an encounter in which four militants were killed and their weapons were seized."

"All routes have been sealed so that the militants cannot escape," a senior police officer told IANS.

"Around 15 of the militants are still firing at the soldiers. A fierce encounter has been going on in the area."

The army and other security forces are presently busy providing relief materials to thousands of flood victims in the state.

A high alert has been issued along the LoC in Kashmir Valley and Jammu region to ensure that the militants can be prevented from taking any advantage of the army's divided attention.