Three jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were martyred and seven injured after a patrolling party of the paramilitary force was attacked in Jammu and Kashmir's Handwara on Monday, triggering a fierce gun-battle.

The encounter comes after a day after the death of fivesecurity personnel, including two army officers, in the same region in aface-off with terrorists that began on Saturday.

Sources said the terrorists' targeted a CRPF patrol and launched heavy fire on them. The CRPF unit repulsed the attack and reinforcements from other security agencies have reached the area.

"Encounter is underway. We have suffered some casualties,"said a CRPF officer.

In Saturday's encounter, two senior army officers a colonel and a major- were among five security personnel who lost their lives. A police officer and two soldiers were also part of the five-member team that came under heavy fire from terrorists.

A joint anti-terrorist operation by the armed forces and theJ&K Police was carried out in the Handwara area of the district in northKashmir, about 70 km from capital Srinagar, an official statement said, addingthat the five-member team was able to rescue several civilians. Two terroristswere killed during the joint operation.