Seven army personnel and two civilians were killed in a massive gas cylinder explosion in an army canteen at Pattan in north Kashmir on Thursday morning.

Hizbul Mujahideen (HM), which has declared a three-day unilateral ceasefire from tomorrow, has claimed responsibility for the blast. The police said a gas cylinder exploded inside the canteen of 102 Engineers Regiment.

"The canteen building was completely damaged in the explosion. The wounded have been shifted to a nearby hospital," a senior police officer said.  An HM spokesman said they detonated the blast at the canteen, in which more than a dozen soldiers were killed and scores wounded.