Seven policemen hurt in Indian Kashmir attacks

Six policemen were hurt when their vehicle hit a roadside bomb planted by militants on a bridge in southern Pulwama district late Monday, a police spokesman said.

"The powerful explosion also damaged a police jeep and part of the bridge," the spokesman said, adding that earlier a policeman was injured in a gun attack by militants on a foot patrol in the same district.

Kashmir had been relatively stable in recent months but Indian police have reported a spike in violence over the past two weeks.

Earlier this month, Indian commandos stormed a hotel in Kashmir's main city Srinagar and killed two gunmen who had been holed up in the guesthouse for nearly 24 hours. A civilian and a policeman were also killed during the siege.

Attacks and clashes have continued since the siege.

The insurgency erupted in 1989 against Indian rule of the Muslim-majority region and has claimed more than 47,000 lives, according to an official count.