Indian police on Tuesday credited a wild bear for killing two senior militants in the disputed region of Kashmir, where insurgents have fought against New Delhi's rule since 1989.

The bodies of the rebels were recovered on Monday from forests in the southern district of Kulgam, a police spokesman said.

"The two had been mauled to death by a wild bear," he said, adding two rifles were found near their bodies.

The men - known by the names Saifullah and Qaiser - were members of the region's most powerful group Hizbul Mujahedin and had been active in Indian Kashmir for more than six years, police said.

Armed rebels in the Muslim-majority region often use the densely forested mountains as their hide-outs.