India's army says three attackers and one civilian were killed in an attack on an army base in India-administered Kashmir, near the border with Pakistan.

An Indian Defense Ministry spokesman said heavily-armed fighters stormed the army base in Tangdhar, 140 kilometers from the main city of Srinagar, setting off grenades and firing automatic weapons.

The attack finished some six hours after the militants infiltrated the base.

Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.

Both claim the Himalayan territory in its entirety and have fought three wars over its control.

Several rebel groups have for decades been fighting Indian forces deployed in the region, seeking independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan.

Based on reporting by AFP and dpa