SRINAGAR: Police say government forces are battling a group of suspected rebels inside a government compound in the Indian-held Kashmir (IHK).

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 IHK 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 paralysed life in IHK.