SRINAGAR, India -- Ten Islamic militants were killed in four separate overnight encounters with the Indian Army in troubled Indian Kashmir, an army spokesman said Tuesday.

Colonel Mukhtar Singh told AFP that the clashes took place late on Monday evening in three areas along the Line of Control (LOC) -- the de facto border dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

He named the areas as Pindi Gali, a mountain pass along the LOC; Ratigali and Kandoor -- all in northern Kupwara district of the state. "They (the militants) had just sneaked into the Indian side from the Pakistani side when the encounters took place," Singh said. "A large amount of arms and ammunition including wireless sets have been recovered from them. This gives a lie to the claim from the other side that there is no infiltration."

In a similar clash three days ago, seven militants were killed in the Kupwara district by India's security forces.

Meanwhile, police Tuesday said that in the first seven months of this year, 119 militants had surrendered to the security forces as against 49 in the corresponding period last year.

Police also said that so far 1,052 militants have been killed in Indian Kashmir this year against 1,059 during the same period last year.

A total of 429 militants had been arrested as against 334 last year. On the other hand, 634 people have so far been killed by militants this year and 945 injured.

At least 36,500 people have been killed since the rebels launched their insurgency against Indian rule in Kashmir in 1989, according to Indian government. Separatists say the death toll is at last twice that.