A counterinsurgent assisting the army in its anti-militancy operations was among five people killed on Thursday in a fierce gunbattle at Gadole near Kokernag in Anantnag district, nearly 80 km from Srinagar.

The police said four civilians killed in the firing, included a woman and a two-month-old child.

They said that army troops mounted massive searches in Gadole on information about the presence of militants.

"As the troops started conducting searches they came under heavy fire from hiding militants resulting in on the spot death of Ikhwan counterinsurgent Ghulam Nabi Yazdani," a police officer told rediff.com

The three adult civilians killed were identified as Mohammad Shafi, Mohammad Qasim, and Arifa Jan.

Police sources said the militants managed their escape.