Four Indian army troopers and a militant were killed Friday in a gunfight in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

Initially the militants ambushed Indian army troopers, killing three of them in morning at village Buchoo Bala of Tral in district Pulwama, around 40 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

However, later on another trooper and a militant were killed in a fierce gunfight between two sides inside the forest area close to the village.

"Militants this morning fired upon a party of Indian army at village Buchoo in Tral and killed three troopers," said Lt. Col. Ankur Vashist, an Indian army spokesman in Srinagar. "After army launched search operation in the forest area where militants were hiding, gunfight broke down during which a militant was killed and a trooper was wounded. He later on succumbed to his wounds while being evacuated to hospital."

The contingents of police, army and paramilitary have cordoned the area and launched a combing operation to trace the militants. Reports said additional troops were rushed to the spot.

The killing of troopers comes a day after a top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander was killed in Srinagar city during a brief gunfight.

Last week a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of Indian army was killed and a trooper wounded in a fierce gunfight with militants on line-of-control (LoC) in Machil sector of Kupwara district, around 165 km northwest of Srinagar. The gunfight between militants and Indian army troopers in Indian-controlled Kashmir takes place intermittently. A guerrilla war is going on between militants and the Indian troops stationed in Indian- controlled Kashmir since 1989.