Three Army soldiers and five civilians were killed in two separate avalanches in Jammu and Kashmir, police and defence sources said on Tuesday.

The defence sources said three soldiers were killed and another was missing after an avalanche hit an Army post in the Machil sector along the LoC on Tuesday.

Five soldiers were trapped under the avalanche as per reports.

TheArmy launched rescue operations and traced four of the soldiers. While three ofthem were declared dead, another was injured and is being treated at a localmilitary facility, the sources said.

Efforts are on to trace one missing soldier.

On the other hand, in another avalanche that struck a village in the Gagangir area of Ganderbal district, five civilians were killed while four others were rescued, police said.

Theavalanche struck on Monday night when the five civilians were passing by thearea, they said.

However, the bodies of the five have been recovered.