Four young men killed as landmine drifting from Indian side explodes near LoC

According to the region’s Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR), four young men were murdered after a landmine, thought to have drifted from the Indian side, exploded near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

The explosion occurred when the four boys were repairing a water pipeline linked to a nearby spring in Mehndla Madarpur hamlet. The task was part of their regular routine but the landmine went off when they approached the site, killing all four on the spot, initial reports said.

The victims were identified as Faizan Sagheer, Ishtiaq, Asim Rafiq and Waqas Sharif. The deaths overshadowed the local community, whose citizens expressed tremendous sadness over the loss of the four young guys.

Local news quoted security sources as saying the teenagers had gone to the spring at Mehndla Madarpur to repair the water supply pipes when the explosion took place.
The event underscores the vulnerabilities that villagers living near the LoC confront, where treacherous terrain and explosive devices can threaten civilians going about their daily lives.

The DGPR cautioned that drifting landmines from the Indian side continued to endanger people and cattle in areas close to the LoC. The report said the threats posed by local residents were due to the nature of the terrain, poor boundary demarcation and movement of landmines.

The blast has heightened awareness of the dangers of explosive devices in border areas where people may have to cross open terrain to obtain water sources and perform everyday household and farming tasks.

The new incident comes amid broader tensions along the Pakistan-India border. Earlier this month, two Pakistani citizens were slain by Indian boundary Security Force (BSF) soldiers in the Bedian Sector near the international boundary, the Pakistani Foreign Office said.

The Foreign Office in a statement after the event said BSF forces used fatal force on defenceless individuals and termed the action inappropriate and disproportionate. Two Pakistani civilians were killed in the event, forcing Pakistan to submit a formal protest with India.

Pakistan then summoned India’s Charge d’Affaires to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to lodge its strong protest over the killings.