Five policemen, including a sub-divisional police officer, were killed in an improvised explosive device blast at Kishtawar in hilly Doda district on Friday.

Member of Parliament and former state health minister, Lal Singh, probably the target of the blast, escaped unhurt.

Talking to rediff.com, Inspector General of Police, Jammu range, P L Gupta, said three cops were critically injured in the explosion.

He said Singh and local MLA Ghulam Mohammad Saroori were returning to Kishtawar from a public meeting when militants triggered the IED.

The SDPO was leading the cavalcade in the pilot car, according to sources in Srinagar.

Senior police and army officers have rushed to the spot. The MP was safely escorted to Kishtawar late this afternoon.

No militant group has yet claimed responsibility for the blast.