In occupied Kashmir, in a major incident, at least 44 Indian soldiers were killed and dozens injured in a bomb blast on Srinagar-Jammu highway in Awantipora area of Pulwama district, today. According to Kashmir Media Service, the incident took place when an explosive-laden car hit a Central Reserve Police Force bus. Authorities say the death toll may rise.

The traffic was suspended on the highway following the blast. Indian troops cordoned off the entire area and launched search operation.

Senior resistance leaders, Syed Ali Gilani and Chairman Hurriyat Forum, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in their separate statements in Srinagar expressed serious concern over the killing of a teenage boy and injuries to twenty eight other students in Kupwara and Pulwama districts in mysterious blasts.

Syed Ali Gilani termed the occurrence of back-to-back blasts as a well thought-out conspiracy against the freedom struggle.

Meanwhile, Complete shutdown was observed in the territory for the second consecutive day today against the Indian designs to change demography of the territory by revoking Articles 35-A and 370 of the Indian Constitution.

On the other hand, an Indian soldier committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle during guard duty at an army camp near Panama Chowk in Jammu city.

This incident raised the number of such deaths amongst the Indian troops and police personnel to 422 in occupied Kashmir since January 2007.