- Incident occurs in Mehndla Madarpur village in Poonch.
- Victims identified as Faizan, Ishtiaq, Asim and Waqas.
- DGPR says drifting landmines pose threat near LoC.
MUZAFFARABAD: Four youths were martyred after a landmine that had drifted from the Indian side accidentally exploded near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch, AJK’s Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) said.
According to initial reports, the four had gone to repair a water pipeline at a spring near Mahandlah and Madarpur villages as part of their daily routine when the explosion occurred.
The DGPR said all four youths were martyred on the spot. The victims were identified as Faizan Sagheer, Ishtiaq, Asim Rafiq and Waqas Sharif.
The incident plunged the area into mourning, with residents expressing deep grief over the deaths.
The DGPR said residents and livestock in areas near the LoC remained at risk because of the nature of the terrain, unclear border demarcation and landmines drifting from the Indian side.
Earlier this month, two Pakistani civilians were killed by personnel of the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in the Bedian Sector along the International Border.
The BSF personnel resorted to unprovoked lethal force against unarmed civilians. Such use of force was wholly unjustified and grossly disproportionate, resulting in the tragic loss of two precious lives, the Foreign Office had said.
The Indian Charge d’Affaires was later summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today to lodge Pakistan’s strong protest over the killing of the Pakistani civilians.
