Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, June 27

One civilian was killed, and four others were injured in an explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in Baramulla district on Saturday, prompting a forensic investigation into what authorities believe may have been a remnant explosive device left in the border area.

The blast occurred near Asha Post in the Sumli Wali Dhok area of the Gulmarg sector, close to the de facto frontier dividing Indian- and Pakistani-administered Kashmir, where unexploded ordnance and abandoned explosive devices occasionally pose risks to civilians despite periodic clearance operations.

Officials identified the deceased as Zubair Ahmad Bajad, a resident of Galibal village in Baramulla district’s Chandoosa area. He died at the scene, while four other civilians sustained injuries and were taken for medical treatment.

Authorities did not immediately disclose the condition of the injured.

Police said forensic experts had been dispatched to the site to examine the scene and determine the precise nature of the explosive.

“The exact cause of the explosion is being investigated,” an official said, adding that preliminary indications suggested it may have involved a littered or remnant explosive device.

The incident triggered speculation on social media that army personnel had also been injured in the blast, prompting police to issue a public clarification denying the reports.

“It has come to our notice that false and unsubstantiated information is being circulated claiming that Army personnel were injured at Asha Post,” Baramulla Police said in a statement.

“No Army personnel have sustained injuries in the incident.”

Police urged the public to refrain from circulating unverified information, warning that misinformation during security-related incidents could create unnecessary panic and disrupt public order.

“Citizens are advised to rely only on official sources of information,” the statement said, adding that legal action would be taken against anyone found deliberately spreading false or misleading information.

The blast occurred in a mountainous area close to the Line of Control, where large stretches of forest and grazing land remain vulnerable to the presence of unexploded munitions and other explosive remnants from decades of military confrontation between India and Pakistan.

Although extensive mine-clearing operations have been carried out over the years, security agencies periodically issue advisories warning residents, shepherds and tourists against venturing into unfamiliar areas near the LoC because of the lingering danger posed by unexploded devices.

The Gulmarg sector, besides being an important tourist destination, borders sensitive military positions along the LoC and witnesses heightened security deployment throughout the year.

Saturday’s incident is likely to renew concerns over the continuing threat posed by legacy explosives in border regions, where civilians engaged in grazing, farming and other livelihood activities occasionally encounter hazardous remnants of past military activity.

Police said investigations were continuing and that further details would be released after forensic examination of the site.