NEW DELHI, Oct. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Four Indian soldiers and one civilian were killed Saturday when a suicide bomber rammed a car packed with explosives into an army convoy in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

    The incident occurred in Singapora village in the northern district of Baramulla, the Indo-Asian News Service quoted local police as saying.

    The convoy was passing through the Srinagar-Uri national highway when the suicide bomber driving a car struck a bus carrying the soldiers.

    Four soldiers and the civilian, whose truck happened to be at the spot, were killed instantly. The suicide bomber is also believed to have died.

    About 25 people, including some 15 soldiers, were injured, a senior police officer said.

    The bus was completely destroyed. The entire area has been cordoned off and traffic on the highway suspended.

    Those injured were rushed to the army's base hospital in Srinagar for treatment.

    Militant separatists have been fighting Indian rule in Kashmir since 1989, and more than 40,000 people have been killed since then. Enditem