A police officer was killed in overnight fierce gunbattle with terrorists in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir [Images] that continued on Saturday.

Two army personnel succumbed to bullet shots in the operations that started on Thursday evening leaving four terrorists dead.

Special Police Officer Naresh Kumar was killed in the encounter between the terrorists and the security forces in the forest area of Mendhar in Poonch district, defence sources said.

The Bhati Dhar forest of Mendhar area has been cordoned off by the forces, which are also being assisted by Special Operation Group of police.

JCO Rakesh Kumar and Naik P K Singh were killed in the exchange of fire.

The encounter started on Thursday after Army troops and a special operation group of the state police jointly launched a search operation in the forest area following inputs of terrorists' presence in a hideout there, a police spokesman said.

The security forces suspect that six terrorists are holed up in the forest.