NEW DELHI, Dec. 23 (Xinhua) -- Three suspected Sikh militants were killed Monday in a gunfight with police in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, police said.

The gunfight broke out in Pilibhit district, about 264 km north of Lucknow, the capital city of Uttar Pradesh.

According to the police, the gunfight broke out after a police party from the Indian state of Punjab accompanied by their counterparts in Uttar Pradesh tried to arrest them. However, the police said the militants fired upon the joint police party leading to a gunfight.

"During the standoff, they were critically wounded and after being removed to the hospital, the doctors declared them brought dead," senior police official Avinash Pandey said.

Pandey added two policemen were also wounded in the fight against these suspects. ■