JAMMU, India, March 28 (AFP) - Two Indian paramilitary troopers were killed and nine injured overnight in an ambush by heavily-armed Islamic militants in restive India-administered Kashmir, police said Monday.

The ambush, in which the troops were attacked with grenades and assault rifles, occurred in Metka village of Rajouri district, 150 kilometres (93 miles) north west of Jammu, Kashmir's winter capital.

"The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel were attacked when they were on foot patrol in the tiny mountainous village," a police spokesman said.

He said six of the injured were in critical condition.

Kashmir is held in part by India and Pakistan but both claim it in full. They have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir but started a slow-moving peace drive in January 2004.

On April 7, a bus service connecting the two zones of Kashmir will be restarted after a gap of almost 60 years, the first tangible results of the negotiations.