The three were seen last in Uri's Mahan jungles where they on surveillance of the LoC. The six-member patrolling party was headed by Subedar Major Ram Niwas of 6, Rajput Regiment when they came under heavy fire from Pakistani troops and split into two, sources said.

The survivors are reported to have seen the three colleagues rushing towards the Pakistani side in their attempt to escape being hit. Their disappearance was noticed when others, including a civilian guide, returned to the base camp, sources said. The Army authorities, however, did not confirm the incident.

Initially, the Armymen were said to have been abducted by the foreign mercenaries, who often use the porous LoC as passage to and from Pakistan. However, sources denied such a possibility andsaid the presence of militants in the LoC was most unlikely.

The state-controlled Pakistan Television has reported abduction of ``five Indian Armymen by Mujahideen'' in its Saturday evening bulletin. Sources close to militants also allude to this possibility. They suggest that capture of Indian Army personnel could be projected as the bravest ever act by the militants in the indoctrination camps across Pakistan.

Gen Krishan Pal, general-officer-commanding, 15 Corps, told The Indian Express, ``No Armyman had been abducted by militants in Kashmir,'' while referring to such media reports.

Highly-placed sources said the Pakistani authorities have denied presence of Indian Armymen on their soil, when contacted by the Director General of Military Operations in Delhi.