A pair of unsuspecting militants have been mauled to death after accidentally choosing a bear's den as their hideout in Kashmir.
Four militants entered the cave in the Kulgam district, south of Srinagar, and were preparing pudding.
The black bear then returned to its hibernation spot and attacked the men, killing Mohammad Amin alias Qaiser and Bashir Ahmed alias Saifullah, the BBC reports.
The men, who reportedly belonged to the Hizbul Mujahideen extremist group, were armed with assault rifles but appear to have been taken by surprise.
There were no reports of the bear being shot.
A third man was reportedly injured and reported the attack while receiving treatment in a nearby village.
Police and army personnel later recovered the bodies from the cave in the dense Dandloo Nar Hakwara forest as well as guns and ammunition.
The bear was not found.
Incidents of bear contact with humans has in the Indian-administered Kashmir has increased since Muslim separatists challenged Indian rule in 1989, reports say.
Animal numbers have grown since poaching decreased after authorities cracked down on firearm ownership following outbreaks of insurgency violence.
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