MUZAFFARABAD: Four men were killed on Monday when a landmine exploded near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), according to the Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR).
The DGPR said in a statement, citing initial reports, that the four men were at the site of the incident in Hajira tehsil to repair a pipeline carrying spring water, when the landmine floated into the area from the Indian side and exploded.
All four of them died on the spot, the statement said.
It added that due to unclear border demarcation in areas close to the LoC, floating unexploded landmines posed a persistent threat to civilians and livestock.
The DGPR statement had no further details of the incident.
Earlier, Poonch Divisional Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan told Dawn that Indian Army personnel had planted the landmine.
Former AJK prime minister Sardar Abdul Qayyum Niazi expressed grief over the deaths and offered condolences to the bereaved families.
In a statement, he said India was killing Kashmiris — not only in the occupied territory but also along the LoC — by planting improvised explosive devices and shooting people engaged in routine activities such as herding cattle, cutting fodder and collecting medicinal plants.
He blamed the continued loss of lives on the prolonged delay in resolving the Kashmir issue, which he attributed to India’s reluctance.