SRINAGAR: Three suspected militants were killed in a gun battle Saturday after they entered Indian-held Kashmir from the Pakistani side, an Indian army spokesman said.

Soldiers intercepted the militants early Saturday in the border district of Kupwara, Lt Col Nitin N Joshi said.

The army did not suffer any casualties in the gun battle, Joshi said.

There was no independent confirmation of the fighting.

Five militants, three soldiers and a civilian have died in two gun battles in the same frontier area over the past two weeks.

Kashmir is claimed by both India and Pakistan in its entirety. India accuses Pakistan of funding and training militants in Azad Kashmir and facilitating their entry into Indian-held Kashmir to fight Indian forces.

Islamabad denies the charge, saying it gives only moral and diplomatic support to the Kashmiri people.

More than 68,000 people have been killed in the armed conflict on the issue that began in 1989.

Also read: Kashmir militants kill Indian army colonel, police officer

Violence has abated during the last decade but armed encounters between militants and government forces occur regularly and resentment among the people of Kashmir against Indian rule is deep-rooted.