Islamabad  - Four Pakistani soldiers were killed Thursday on the de facto border with India in the disputed Himalayan territory of Kashmir, the military said.

"Miscreants opened small arms fire on troops at around 2 pm (0800 GMT) in Batal area along the Line of Control (LoC), killing two soldiers and fatally wounding two more," Pakistan military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said.

According to the spokesman, the gunmen were hiding in a wooded area that fell inside Pakistan administered Kashmir.

"Pakistani commanders also informed the Indian officers about the engagement and sought information, if any, about the incident," Abbas said.

The nuclear-armed South Asian neighbours have been observing a ceasefire along the LoC, the de facto border dividing Indian and Pakistan administered territories. The two sides have fought three wars, the first two over Kashmir, since gaining independence in 1947. (dpa)