Srinagar, Feb 17 (IANS): The Jammu & Kashmir Police have arrested three terrorist associates linked with proscribed terror outfit Hizbul Mujahideen from south Kashmir's Awantipora and recovered IED material from their possession, officials said on Wednesday.

Police said based on specific inputs regarding movement of terrorists, Awantipora Police along with 42 RR of the Army and 180 BN of the CRPF launched a joint operation in Batagund and Dadsara villages of Tral and arrested three terrorist associates linked with the Hizb.

They have been identified as Shafat Ahmad Sofi, resident of Batagund, Majid Mohammad Bhat and Umer Rashid Wani, both residents of Dadsara.

"As per police records, they were involved in providing shelter, logistics and transportation of arms/ammunition to the active HM terrorists in Tral and Awantipora areas," police said.

"On their disclosure, incriminating materials including eight electric detonators, seven anti-mechanism switches, three pressure/relay mechanism switches, one improvised switch and one anti-mine wireless antenna were recovered from the residential house of one of the arrested terrorist associate in village Dadsara. All the recovered materials have been taken into case records for further investigation."

Police have registered an FIR and further investigations are on.