Five Indian military personnel were killed and four suspected freedom fighters martyred in two gun battles in Indian-occupied Kashmir, officials said Sunday.

Four army personnel, including two officers, a counterinsurgency policeman killed and two freedom fighters martyred after a firefight in the village of Changimul near the Line of Control, said army spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia.

They had entered a home to "to evacuate the civilians" but came under "heavy fire" from fighters inside the building, Kalia added in the statement.

It was unclear why the men had entered the house, with a police officer, who asked to remain anonymous, telling AFP they had "walked into an ambush".

On Saturday, two suspected fighters were martyred by security forces in a brief shootout in the Pulwama area of the southern occupied Kashmir valley, police said.

At least 54 militants have been martyred in occupied Kashmir this year, including more than 30 since the start of the lockdown from late March, according to an AFP tally.

Early last month at least five Indian soldiers killed and nine fighters were martyred in two separate firefights over two days in the occupied Kashmir valley. Two Indian soldiers were killed in one such incident on Saturday, authorities said.