Four suspected separatist guerrillas were killed in a tourist hub on the banks of the Dal lake in this summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir Saturday, police said.

A senior police officer here said a patrol party of the local police was fired upon by a group of militants in the Nishat area on the banks of the Dal lake, seven kilometres from the Lal Chowk city centre.

"The fire was returned by the police party and in the ensuing encounter, four unidentified militants were killed. Weapons were also recovered from the slain militants," the police officer said.

Nishat, where the famous Mughal Gardens of Nishat Bagh and Shalimar are located, is one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Kashmir besides the nearby Harwan gardens.

--Indo-Asian News Service