Soldier injured in landmine blast along Poonch LoC

An Army personnel was injured in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Saturday, officials said. The landmine exploded when the troops were patrolling in a forward area in Digwar sector this afternoon, the officials said.

As part of an anti-infiltration obstacle system, the forward areas are dotted with landmines which sometimes get washed away by rains, resulting in such accidents. The injured Havaldar was immediately evacuated to hospital for treatment, the officials said.

Meanwhile, a Bomb Disposal Squad destroyed an unexploded mortar shell in a controlled explosion near the Regal border outpost in Samba district this morning.

The mortar shell was found by some villagers who informed police and subsequently, a team of experts was rushed and the explosive device was neutralised, the officials said.

Dozens of unexploded ordnance were defused by Army and police experts in villages along the LoC and International Border in the past week after Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on May 10 announced that India and Pakistan reached an understanding to stop all firings and military actions on land, air and sea, with immediate effect.