5 soldiers die as Army vehicle crashes in J&K

Five Army personnel were killed and five others injured when their vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down a 300-foot-deep gorge near the Line of Control in Poonch district of Jammu division on Tuesday.

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The incident took place around 5.40 pm when the Army vehicle of Maratha Light Infantry (MLI) was on its way from Nilam Headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post, said a police official.

An official Army spokesperson said the 2.5 ton vehicle, part of a convoy of six, was plying on the operational track when it went off the road. The spokesperson ruled out any terror angle.

The driver apparently lost control of the vehicle while negotiating a turn, said the Army, adding the cause of the accident was being ascertained.

The injured were shifted to the Field Hospital in Poonch. “All ranks of White Knight Corps extend their deepest condolences on the tragic loss of five brave soldiers in a vehicle accident during operational duty in the Poonch sector,” said the spokesperson.