Twenty-six men were killed and 17 were injured when suspected militants opened fire at tourists in India's Jammu and Kashmir territory, police said.

At least 26 people were killed and 17 others wounded when gunmen opened fire on tourists in Indian-controlled Kashmir, the worst assault in years targeting civilians in a restive region that has seen an anti-India rebellion for more than three decades.

It was the deadliest attack on civilians in two decades in the disputed territory. Both India and Pakistan claim the Kashmir region and have fought two wars over it. Troops from both sides have traded intermittent small-arms fire across the border for the past few days.