JAMMU, March 3: Three policemen were among six people killed when a heavily-armed freedom fighter attacked a prison van in Jammu city during a bid to free a fellow militant, police said Wednesday.

The daredevil raid outside the District Jail of Jammu, occurred mid-morning when 10 militants were about to be taken in a police van to a local court, Jammu police chief P.L. Gupta told AFP.

He said the lone gunman, who was killed during the shoot-out, hurled grenades and fired randomly at the van, killing three policemen, a civilian and one of the prisoners. "Paramilitary troops neutralized the terrorist," Gupta said, adding that the unidentified gunmen had planned to free a militant.