Officials say four army soldiers have been killed and one another wounded in a gunbattle with militants fighting against Indian rule in disputed Kashmir.

Security officials say the fighting erupted after government forces surrounded a village in the southern Pulwama area on a tip that militants were hiding there.

Police said as troops began conducting searches they came under heavy gunfire, leading to fatalities.

The deaths come after a local Kashmiri militant rammed an explosive-laden van into a convoy bus on Thursday, killing at least 40 soldiers in the worst attack against Indian government forces in Kashmir's history.

India blamed the attack on Pakistan and promised a "jaw breaking response." Pakistan warned India not to link it to the attack without an investigation.