Seven killed in Kashmir explosion

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Five Indian soldiers and two civilians have been killed in an explosion north of Srinagar in Indian-administered Kashmir, police say.

The blast happened in a canteen at an army camp in Pattan township, 27km (16 miles) north of Srinagar.

The authorities say they are still finding out whether it was an accident or an act of sabotage.

However, the Hizbul-Mujahideen militant group has said it carried out the attack, using a timer device.

Police say that eight people, six of them soldiers, were injured in the explosion.

Gun battle

In another incident, police say that militants killed two Indian soldiers, including an officer, were killed in an ambush in Baramullah district.

Police also say they have achieved a "major breakthrough" by killing a wanted commander of the Jamiatul-Mujahideen militant group in Bandipora district.

They say Zulfikar Ali - whose alias was Abu Hamza - was killed along with his bodyguard in a gun battle that broke out during a search operation on Wednesday night.

Police say that Mr Ali was a Pakistani national and had been active as a militant in Kashmir for six years.

More than 60,000 people have been killed in Indian-administered Kashmir since 1989 when an armed insurgency began against Indian rule.