At least 12 people, including an Army major and nine soldiers, were killed in a landmine explosion around midnight Saturday in Pulwama district of India-controlled Kashmir.

The troops were traveling in a private Sumo taxi when it hit a landmine at Batapota village, said local police.

"Ten troops including a major, a special police officer and a civilian driver of the taxi were killed on the spot. The Sumo taxiwas completely destroyed in the explosion," said the police.

The explosive was planted in a water pipe laid under the link road at the village.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.

On Saturday, seven people including five paramilitary men and two suicide attackers were killed in north Kashmir's apple-rich town of Sopore in a guerrilla strike on a camp of the special operations group (SOG) of the state police.

Source: Xinhua