Five persons, including four army troopers and a militant, were killed in a fierce South Kashmir Pulwama district encounter that started early Saturday, even as one militant is holed up in a mosque in the same district.

Police said troops of 62, Rashtriya Rifles surrounded village Neldoora early on Saturday, following specific information that militants were hiding in the village.

"As the troops began house to house searches they came under heavy fire from militants hiding in a house who also used hand grenades to attack the raiding party. In the heavy firing four army troopers including a Junior Commissioned Officer were killed," a senior police officer said.

Heavy reinforcements were rushed to the encounter site and the hiding militants were engaged in a sustained gun battle. One militant was killed after heavy exchange of fire.

"The cordon around the village is still on as searches are continuing," said the officer.

Meanwhile there are reports of another militant hiding in a mosque at Wuyan near saffron rich Pampore town in south Kashmir Pulwama district.

The security forces have cordoned off the mosque and efforts are on flush out the holed up militant.