SRINAGAR, July 5: Eleven people have been killed in fresh violence in Indian-held Kashmir, bringing to 46 the number of people killed in the past three days, police said on Monday.

Two freedom fighters and an Indian soldier were killed overnight in a fierce six-hour gun battle near the town of Kulgam, 70 kilometers south of Srinagar, a police spokesman said.

"The fighting erupted during a search out operation by the Indian army," he said, identifying one of the slain Kashmiris as Ansar Khan, alias Talibani. Mr Khan was commander of the Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami.

Four civilians and a soldier were injured in the clash. Near the same town, suspected Mujahideen shot dead a civilian overnight, police said, while in another incident, suspected Mujahideen killed a colleague who had surrendered to the Indian army by slitting his throat in northern Baramulla district.

Meanwhile, Indian troops shot dead a Kashmiri along the India-Pakistan border late on Sunday in Sunderbani, nearly 400 kilometres south of Srinagar, police said. An Indian soldier lost his footing during the operation and died after he slipped into a fast flowing river.

Two more freedom fighters were killed in southern Doda district by troops during a "cordon and search" operation, a police spokesman said. In other violence, a Kashmiri was gunned down by India's security forces while a civilian woman was killed by Mujahideen in separate incidents in Rajouri district, police said.

SCHOOL BURNT: Meanwhile, Kashmir's oldest school burned down on Monday in a suspected arson attack that sparked emotional street protests over an institution that has educated the region's most prominent and influential people for generations.