Srinagar: Four Army personnel and a civilian were today trapped under an avalanche near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir, Army said.

"At about 8 AM today, an army link patrol operating in areas south of Nasthachun pass were overrun by an avalanche triggered from the higher reaches of Shamsabari range (in Kupwara)," army said in a press release.

A Junior Commissioned Officer, three jawans and a civilian porter got trapped under the avalanche.

Army's avalanche rescue teams have launched a rescue and search operation which was in progress till the last reports came in, the Army said.

High reaches of Kashmir Valley received moderate to heavy snowfall over the past couple of days.