A massive blast on Saturday evening injured the deputy inspector general of police (south Kashmir range) and 17 others in Anantnag, 54km from Srinagar.

Police sources in Srinagar said militants detonated a powerful improvised explosive device when the DIG's heavily guarded motorcade was passing through Nai Basti locality.

Ravinder Kotwal's bulletproof ambassador and also the escort vehicle were damaged. District police chief Ashiq Hussain Bukhari soon reached the spot with reinforcements.

Among the injured were the DIG, ten of his bodyguards and seven civilians. All of them were taken to the nearby sub-district hospital in Anantnag. The condition of four is stated to be serious.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.