It was a trauma they would have never imagined to come across. Fear could be seen on the faces of the seven hostages, including four children, who were held captive by the suspected LeT militants for 19-hours before being freed in a military operation early Thursday.

One little child said the armed militants were in police uniform, had entered the kitchen and asked all the inmates of the house to assemble together.

"We went inside the kitchen but they got us out. They were talking and were in police uniform," the child said.

The children - Sheetal (9), Vipin (2), Ashad (7) and Kajal (4) - said they were scared and were very happy that they have been rescued.

"They (militants) said 'we will kill you'. We pleaded with them not to kill us and said take all the belongings and cash but please spare us. We have small children," said a woman who was one of the hostages.

"They then locked all of us, except my husband who they kept separately in a room," she said.

Billo Ram, the father of the children and was not among the hostages, said, "I had lost hope. I had given up. It was God's grace that they (the children) are safe. I am also thankful to the army for getting them out."

Army's Special Forces shot dead the last of the three suspected LeT militants early Thursday.

"The operation is over. Our Special Forces have killed the third militant early today," army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel S D Goswami told PTI.