The militants were killed late Saturday and Sunday in three separate gunbattles in the districts of Anantnag and Pulwama in the south and Baramulla in the north, a police spokesman said.

"All the three clashes erupted when troops laid siege to militant hideouts on a tip off from intelligence sources," the spokesman said.

The spokesman said large caches of arms and ammunition were recovered from the scene of the clashes.

In Baramulla a civilian died during an exchange of fire between militants and troops, while in the southern town of Tral a civilian was shot dead by suspected militants, police said.

Rebels often target people they suspect of working for Indian authorities.