Three paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force troopers were killed while another was wounded in a fratricidal shootout inside a heavily guarded camp of the CRPF in South Kashmir's Kulgam town late on Saturday night.

A senior police officer said some irate jawans opened fire at each other inside a barrack following an altercation resulting in on the spot death of two head constables, P Sibbu and Suman Pillay.

Two more jawans of the same rank, identified as Javed Hussain and S D Murthy who were injured in the shooting incident were evacuated to hospital for treatment.

However, Hussain succumbed to injuries enroute, the officer said.

The officer said all the troopers involved in the shootout were drivers of the 18th Battalion CRPF stationed in Kulgam town.

He also confirmed that six CRPF troopers present in the barrack have been detained for questioning by the local police. Senior officers of the CRPF have rushed to the spot.

Spokesman of the CRPF in Srinagar said an enquiry has been ordered. "We are collecting the details about the incident."

This is the first such incident in Kashmir valley this year. Earlier scores of jawans and officers have died in similar incidents in the Valley.

The authorities have sought the services of counsellors and jawans are given periodic leaves to enable them to join their families.