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5 soldiers killed, 10 hurt in blast on Srinagar-Ley road

Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar

Five soldiers, including a major, were killed Friday morning when militants made another attempt to disrupt traffic on the all-important Srinagar-Kargil highway.

Ten soldiers were injured in the blast.

Sources said the militants had planted a powerful improvised explosive device on the road, which was set off when two army trucks ran over it.

The injured include a captain. They have been airlifted to the Srinagar base hospital. The condition of at least six soldiers is critical.

This is the second blast on the highway in the past two weeks, the first one claiming seven soldiers, when a powerful landmine explosion damaged their vehicle.

Sources said today's blast has disrupted traffic on the highway as the road opening parties have launched ''massive searches on the road to sanitise it''.

Troops from the nearby army camp have rushed to the spot.

No one has owned responsibility for the blast. The authorities had recently beefed up security on the Srinagar-Kargil highway.

Meanwhile, heavy fighting is continuing in the Drass sector. Sources said that the troops have mounted a massive operation to evict the intruders from the upper reaches of Drass.

The Kargil Crisis

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