JAMMU, India (AFP) -- Three Indian soldiers and a suspected Islamic militant were killed in a shootout after rebels ambushed an army patrol in Indian Kashmir, the army said Tuesday.

"The soldiers were going for a military operation against the militants after a tip-off, but they were ambushed," defence spokesman Colonel D.K. Badola told AFP.

Five soldiers also were seriously injured in the exchange of gunfire in Poonch district, 240 kilometers (150 miles) from Jammu, the winter capital of Indian Kashmir.

More than 44,000 people have died from violence in Kashmir since a rebellion against Indian rule erupted in 1989, according to Indian records.

The region is divided between India and Pakistan, both of whom claim it in full.