1st Ld Writethru: Trooper wounded in gunfight at government building in Indian-controlled Kashmir

An Indian army trooper was wounded Monday in a gunfight at a government building in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The gunfight at Pampore town of Pulwama district, about 15 km south to Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, broke out in morning.

Officials said two or three militants entered multi-storey building of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute and set part of it on fire.

Soon after contingents of troops and police rushed to the spot, militants fired upon them triggering a gunfight.

"A gunfight has started and an intermittent exchange of fire is going on," Indian army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia told Xinhua. "

"In the initial burst of fire from the militants, a trooper was wounded and he has been removed to the hospital."

Authorities have suspended the traffic on highway passing through the town in wake of the stand-off.

Earlier this year in February militants entered an adjacent building in the premises and engaged Indian troops for 48 hours.

Nine people including three militants and three Indian army troopers were killed in the gunfight, besides 13 paramilitary were wounded.

The building suffered massive damage because of the heavy exchange of gunfire and mortar shells.

A guerilla war is going on between militants and Indian troops stationed in Indian-controlled Kashmir since 1989. Gunfights between the two sides take place intermittently across the region.

Kashmir, the Himalayan region divided between India and Pakistan, is claimed by both in full. Since their independence from Britain, the two countries have fought three wars, two exclusively over Kashmir. Endit