Srinagar: Suspected militants ambushed a police vehicle in a south Kashmir village on Wednesday afternoon, leaving four personnel fatally injured in the first major strike on security forces since new governor Satya Pal Malik assumed office last week.

The attack in Shopian district came hours after the rebels had lost a top commander and his associate in an operation in neighbouring Anantnag.

A person claiming to be a spokesperson for the Jaish-e-Mohammad called up a local news agency to say that the militant group had jointly carried out the attack with the Hizbul Mujahideen.

Sources said the militants were waiting in ambush in Arhama and opened indiscriminate fire from all sides on the vehicle, giving the Jammu and Kashmir policemen no time to retaliate.

"Four cops sustained gunshot wounds and were evacuated to a nearby hospital for medical attention. However, all the four injured policemen succumbed to their injuries," a police spokesperson said.

Another official said two policemen died on the spot and two died in hospital.

The spokesperson identified the slain policemen as constables Ishfaq Ahmad Mir, Javaid Ahmad Bhat and Mohammad Iqbal Mir and special police officer Adil Manzoor Bhat. The militants took away three service rifles from the slain cops.

The attack came as security forces celebrated the death of Hizb commander Altaf Kachroo in an encounter in Anantnag. Altaf, one of the most wanted militants, carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.

His associate, Umar Rashid Wani, was also killed in the gunfight.

Police sources said a search operation had been launched in the Muniward area of Anantnag early on Wednesday and the encounter started when militants opened fire on the search party.

A police spokesperson said Altaf was "one of the most important terrorist commanders of the terror outfit HM" and had "a long history of criminal record since 2007".

Umar had joined militancy last year and was involved in an attack in Batamaloo, Srinagar, that left one CRPF man dead.