Security forces shot dead 10 top Pakistani militants belonging to the Lashker-e-Tayiba, in an encounter on Saturday in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, the police said.

Receiving a tip-off on the presence of a large group of foreign mercenaries belonging to Pakistan and Afghanistan, a joint operation of army and police was launched in Hardi mountains of Surankote belt of Poonch district in the morning, Senior Superintendent of Police Mukesh Singh said.

Singh, who is supervising the operation, said the ultras fired from their positions on the security forces, who retaliated killing 10 militants on the spot.

The operation will continue till the last militant in the area is killed, he added.

Six AK rifles, one pika gun, two pistols, 14 magazines, 390 rounds, eight grenades, three improvised explosive devices, two radio sets, 17 detonators, 19 UBGL grenades and some documents were recovered from the area.