No militant outfit has so far claimed the responsibility for the blast.

In other militancy-related incidents across the valley overnight, nine militants and two soldiers, besides a numberdar, were among 15 persons killed while three militants were arrested and RDX seized.

Official sources said militants triggered a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) under a bridge at Ganeshpora, about 70 km from here, when a BSF patrol of 58 Batallion was crossing it at 9.45 a.m.

Sources said five BSF personnel crossing the bridge at the time fell into the river. Bodies of three jawans were later recovered from the river, while the injured were admitted to hospital in a critical condition.

The deceased jawans have been identified as Preetipal, Vishvanathan and J. Pandia. Traffic to Pahalgam was disrupted as the blast caused major damage to the bridge.

Security forces later conducted a search operation in the entire area and picked up some persons for questioning.

Five militants, including three Pakistani nationals belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) outfit and an Army jawan, were killed and a security jawan injured in separate encounters while three militants were arrested along with 6 kg of RDX and other weapons in Kashmir valley since last night, official sources said today.

Three JeM militants identified as Abu Usman, Syed Fazl-ul-Rehman and Abu Abid, were killed in two encounters during search operations at Dardsun-Kralpora and Sogam-Lolab in Kupwara district today, the sources said.

The encounters took place when the troops of Rashtriya Rifles cordoned off the two villages in search of militants, they said, adding that three AK assault rifles, seven magazines, 90 rounds and four hand grenades were seized from their possession.

A Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militant identified as Abu Rehman was killed in an encounter with Army troops at Kangroosa forest in Baramula district last night, they said.

Another militant was killed in an ongoing search operation by the Army at Pattan in Baramula this afternoon.

An Army jawan was killed when militants opened fire on a patrolling party of 36 Rashtriya Rifles at Sagam village in Kokernag area of Anantnag district last night, the sources said.

Jammu: Two persons, including a numberdar and a security personnel, were killed in separate militancy-related incidents in Doda and Poonch districts of Jammu division last night, official sources said here today.

A group of militants entered the house of numberdar Mohammad Yousuf in Troum village of Baderwah tehsil of Doda district last night and shot him dead after some altercation, they said.

An Army jawan, who was injured along with three colleagues in an encounter with militants at Naka Majairi in Poonch district last evening, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital early this morning, they said.

In another incident, the bodies of one Army Havaldar Shivanand of 137 medium regiment and his wife Satwanti were recovered from a canal near Lakhanpur in Kathua district, sources said.