Authorities in Indian-administered Kashmir say seven people have been killed in separate incidents of violence in the region.

Police say one of those killed was a school teacher who was shot dead by suspected separatist militants inside his school.

An Indian Army officer and a forest guard were killed when fierce fighting broke out between Indian troops and suspected separatist militants in Gudrial village, in the border district of Kupwara.

A police spokesman said the militants managed to escape into the nearby forests without any casualties.

In a separate incident, three separatist militants and an Indian paramilitary soldier were killed in a clash in the village of Washbugh, south of the capital Srinagar.

Teacher shot

Separatist militants were also blamed in the deaths of a policeman near the town of Sopore and a school teacher in the village of Lidter.

Police say three masked militants entered a government run school in Lidter village on Tuesday and opened fire.

The teacher, Ghulam Hasan Mir, was killed instantly.

There have been very few such incidents in the region since the armed separatist insurgency began 10 years ago.

Police say Mr Mir, who was a supporter of the governing National Conference Party, may have been killed because of his allegiance to the party.

However, no militant group has come forward to say they carried out the killing.