Four men have died after a landmine exploded near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), the Directorate General of Public Relations (DGPR) has said on Monday.
According to the DGPR, initial reports suggested that the men were repairing a pipeline carrying spring water in Hajira tehsil when a landmine floated into the area from the Indian side and exploded. All four died at the scene, the statement added.
The DGPR said that unclear border demarcation in areas near the LoC meant that unexploded landmines drifting into civilian areas continued to pose a threat to people and livestock. The statement did not provide further details.
Poonch Divisional Commissioner Sardar Waheed Khan earlier told a private media outlet 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 families.
In a statement, Niazi said that India has killed Kashmiris in both occupied terrorities and along the LoC in AJK. He said that improvised explosive devices and shootings had claimed the lives of people carrying out routine activities, including herding cattle, cutting fodder and collecting medicinal plants.
Niazi blamed the continued loss of lives on delays in resolving the Kashmir issue, which he attributed to India’s reluctance to settle the issue.
