Kashmiri people gather around a house damaged in a gunfight in Khudwani village in Kulgam district, about 70 km south of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, July 22, 2018. Indian security forces Sunday killed three militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir who abducted and murdered a police personnel on Saturday, police said. The militants were killed by a joint team of the Indian Army, para-military Central Reserve Police Force and the state police in a gunfight in Kashmir's Kulgam district, some 70 km from capital Srinagar. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

NEW DELHI, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Indian security forces Sunday killed three militants in Indian-controlled Kashmir who abducted and murdered a police personnel on Saturday, police said.

The militants were killed by a joint team of the Indian Army, para-military Central Reserve Police Force and the state police in a gunfight in Kashmir's Kulgam district, some 70 km from capital Srinagar.

"The three militants, who had holed up in a locality in Kulgam's Khudwani area, were killed by security forces. One of them was involved in the abduction and killing of a police constable Saturday," a police official said.

The policeman, identified as Salem Ahmed Shah, who had been undergoing police training in Kathua, was kidnapped from his home in Kulgam where he was on leave.

His body was found hours later, following which the security forces launched a massive operation to track down his perpetrators.

A month ago, an Indian Army soldier was kidnapped and killed by terrorists in southern Kashmir while he was heading home to celebrate the holy Muslim festival of Eid.