Police in Indian-controlled Kashmir say four policemen and a senior member of an Islamic militant group have been killed in a gun battle near the main city, Srinagar.
Srinagar's police chief says the clash began when police raided a suspected militant hideout Sunday. He says militants responded with gunfire.
Indian Kashmir had enjoyed months of relative calm until last week when a bomb blast in Srinagar wounded at least 24 people.
Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan, although both claim the Himalayan region as their own.
For decades, Muslim militant groups have been fighting for Kashmir's full independence or its merger with Pakistan.
Tens of thousands of people have been killed in the struggle.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.