Five soldiers killed in blast

Five soldiers, including a captain of the Kumaon regiment, were killed and six e critically injured when a bomb, planted in their vehicle by suspected Bodo militants, went off at Hastapur in Assam's Darrang district on Friday, an official report in Guwahati said.

The patrol was proceeding by a jeep to Tamgla from Khairabari when the bomb with a timing device exploded at Hastapur. The vehicle was destroyed, the report said.

Senior civil, police and army officials with additional forces rushed to the spot. A massive combing operation has been launched to apprehend the militants, the report said.