Mistaken for militants, Indian military kills its 2 men in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Two Indian military troopers were killed and two others wounded after troopers from another unit mistook them as militants and fired upon them in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said Wednesday.

The firing incident took place Tuesday night at Noorpora in volatile Tral town of Pulwama district, about 36 km south of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

Police said a military unit had laid an ambush in the area and fired upon their colleagues from another unit who were on a night patrol in the locality.

"The two army parties accidentally fired at each other assuming each other to be militants, wounding four men," a police officer said.

"Two soldiers succumbed to their wounds before being admitted to hospital, while two others are undergoing treatment."

Defense officials said an inquiry was ordered into the incident.

"We have ordered an inquiry into the incident to ascertain the reasons," an Indian army official said.

A guerrilla war has been going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in the region since 1989. According to police, troopers usually embark on night patrols to carry out secret or surprise raids on militant hideouts.

Indian-controlled Kashmir is considered as one of the highest militarized regions in the world. Officially India does not reveal the actual number of its troops deployed in the region. Rights groups put the figure at more than 700,000 troopers and paramilitary troopers. Endi