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NEW DELHI, Thursday (Reuters) India's chief election commissioner and top officials were heading for Kashmir on Thursday amid fears of bloodshed in the next rounds of voting to the state assembly, an official said.

Polling on Monday in the first phase of a high-stakes election in Indian Kashmir was largely peaceful, but the election commission has warned of guerrilla attacks in more dangerous areas which vote early next month.

Chief Election Commissioner James Lyngdoh was due to tour Pulwama and Anantnag in south Kashmir where he said there could be bloodshed because it was the nerve centre of a 13-year-old revolt against Indian rule in the Himalayan state.

"They will review the poll arrangements. It's a two-day trip," an election commission official told Reuters. Anantnag votes on October 1 in a staggered process that will end with counting on October 10.

Deputy Election Commissioner S. Chatterjee said the rebels could target people who voted on Monday to stop others from turning up at polling stations in the second phase next Tuesday.

Meanwhile Indian and Pakistani troops exchanged fire over their de facto border in Kashmir Wednesday, while 17 people, including two ruling party activists, were killed in violence linked to ongoing elections, police said Wednesday.

Police charged that Pakistani troops opened "unprovoked fire" at Indian forward positions in the Keran sector of the northern Kupwara district.

The Pakistani troops fired small arms and artillery, which was returned by Indian troops, said police, who did not report any casualties.

Meanwhile, a police spokesman said militants shot Ali Mohammad Dar, an activist for Indian Kashmir's ruling National Conference party, in the summer capital Srinagar. He was taken to hospital, where he died.

Another activist of the ruling party, Ghulam Rasool Mir, was shot dead by suspected militants in downtown Srinagar.

The deaths take to 27 the number of pro-election activists killed since India announced dates for the polls August 2. Seventeen of the dead have been from the National Conference, which is seeking another term in the four-round election that closes October 8.

Meanwhile, two civilians were killed when they strayed into the crossfire of a battle between Indian security forces and militants in the northern district of Baramulla, police said. One rebel also died in the clash in the village of Kohlinar. 

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