Armed militants strike in the restive region of Indian Kashmir yet again on Tuesday. They opened fire in Srinagar's busy Lal Chowk area, killing one Central Reserve Police Force soldier and injuring three others.

It all happened around 11:30 in the morning when suspected militants attacked a police patrol. The militants reportedly escaped into the congested streets of the Koker Bazaar.

Security personnel cordoned off the entire area and search operations have been launched to nab the attackers.

The militants struck when the busy Lal Chowk area was bustling with activity.

In January 2010, security personnel gunned down a group of militants who were held up in the Punjab Hotel in the Lal Chowk area. The militants were finally shot dead after a gun battle lasting almost two days.

Kashmir is the core dispute between Pakistan and India and the cause of two of their three wars since their independence from British rule in 1947.

After a period of relative calm, militants have stepped up attacks across Indian Kashmir, where officials say tens of thousands have been killed since 1989.