A major terrorist attack was averted in Jammu and Kashmir as security forces said they killed a “foreign terrorist” following a 15-hour long gun battle along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. A huge cache of arms, including rocket launchers, were recovered from the encounter site, the police said.

The overnight firefight began after two terrorists started firing indiscriminately on a BSF convoy on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway in Kulgam district on Thursday afternoon, NDTV said quoting police.

In the ensuing encounter, one security force personal and two civilians were injured. The terrorists also managed to shoot down two drones used by the police in the gun battle, officials said.

"A major tragedy has been averted. They were planning a big attack along the national highway ahead of Independence Day" said Jammu an Kashmir Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar.

Kumar said that the police had input that "terrorists were planning an attack on the national highway on Baramulla-Srinagar road or Qazigund-Pantha Chowk".

"So, the police and security forces were ready. This shows how good the response of the security forces has been that there was retaliation and the terrorist was not allowed to flee," Kumar told reporters in Srinagar.

The police recovered rocket launchers and other arms ammunition from the encounter site. One terrorist has been killed but another one has managed to escape.

The police said it was after a long time “foreign terrorists” used RPGs in Kashmir, NDTV said.