New Delhi, Sep 27 (efe-epa).- At least one Indian soldier and three insurgents died in violent clashes in the northern Indian state of Kashmir on Thursday, official sources said.

Two militants were killing during a joint police and army operation in the Bugdam district, while a third died in a similar operation in the district of Anantnag, the Northern Command of the Indian Army confirmed on Twitter.

Local media reported that three government operations were taking place in various districts of Indian Kashmir, which resulted in clashes between militants and security forces.

In scenes captured by an epa-efe photojournalist in Srinagar, Kashmiri mourners were shown crowding around the body of Mohammad Saleem Malik, who was reportedly shot dead by police on Thursday morning, while protesters lobbed tear gas canisters back at police officers.

Police confirmed that a member of the armed forces had died in the clashes and at least two of the militants who were killed belonged to separatist militant group Hizbul Mujahideen, according to Indian news agency ANI.

India-administered Kashmir is the only region of the country with a Muslim majority. India and Pakistan have both claimed complete sovereignty over the area since the partition of the subcontinent and its independence from the British Empire in 1947.

Since then, the two nations have waged two wars and several conflicts over this territory that is separated by a provisional border, making it one of the most militarized regions in the world.