Alleged militants killed four soldiers during firing overnight near the heavily militarised border, police said on Monday. Soldiers discovered their colleagues' bodies on Monday morning during a search for alleged militants in Hafruda forest, around 140 kilometres (85 miles) north-west of the main city of occupied Srinagar. "We lost four soldiers in the operation. No militants were killed or captured during the search," inspector general of police Javaid Gillani told AFP.

"The soldiers came under fire during the night," army spokesman colonel N.N. Joshi said earlier confirming killing of three soldiers. The fourth soldier's body was found later in the same forested area. Joshi said an alleged militant was also killed in a separate encounter in the nearby valley of Lolab overnight.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2015