Srinagar, Nov 18 (PTI): Five militants were gunned down in north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Saturday in an encounter in which a Garud commando of the Indian Air Force (IAF) was also killed, a defence spokesperson said.

Security forces cordoned off and launched a search operation in Chandergeer village in Hajin area of the district after receiving specific intelligence input about the presence of militants in the area, a police official said.

The search operation resulted in an encounter when the militants hiding there fired on the search party of the security forces, who retaliated.

"Five terrorists have been killed in an ongoing encounter at Hajin," Srinagar-based Defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.

An IAF Garud commando was killed and an Army soldier was also injured in the encounter, he said.

The Garud Commando Force is the special forces unit of the IAF.

The operation is on and further details are awaited, Kalia said.