Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yaseen Malik today began a hunger strike in Nadihal-Rafiabad in north Kashmir to protest the killing of three youths in an alleged fake encounter by army on April 30.

Malik along with his close associates reached Nadihal this morning and started the hunger strike at the main chowk of the town with locals also joining it, officials said.

The hunger strike comes barely two days after Malik-led JKLF took out a march from party headquarters at Maisuma to protest the killings.

"It is a peaceful way to attract the attention of the international community towards the killings, atrocities and other human right violations of innocent Kashmiris at the hands of Indian armed forces," Malik alleged.

Three youths - Shehzad Ahmad, Riyaz Ahmad and Mohammad Shafi- were allegedly abducted on April 27 by a former Special Police Officer (SPO) Bashir Lone and his accomplices and later handed over to the army for monetary benefits.

The trio were later allegedly killed by the army in a stage-managed shootout in Sonapindi Nar area of Machhil along the Line of Control on April 30.

The state government has already ordered a magisterial probe into the incident following massive protests in the Valley against the incident.

Police has arrested four persons, including the SPO and a jawan of Territorial Army Abbas Shah, in this connection.