SRINAGAR: Police say government forces are battling a group of suspected rebels inside a government compound in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir.

Police say army and paramilitary soldiers cordoned off a government compound after gunshots were heard near saffron-rich Pampore town on Monday.

One soldier was reported injured in the initial fighting.

The attack comes as Kashmir is experiencing its largest protests against Indian rule in recent years, sparked by the killing in July of a popular rebel commander by Indian soldiers.

The protests, and a sweeping military crackdown, have paralyzed life in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

India and Pakistan each administer a portion of Kashmir, but both claim the disputed Himalayan region in its entirety. Rebel groups have been fighting since 1989 for either independence or a merger with Pakistan.