Kashmir Impulse Desk
Jammu, Oct 12
Four residents from across the Line of Control (LoC) were killed in a suspected Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast near the LoC in the Hajira area opposite Poonch district, officials said on Monday.
The explosion occurred in the Satwal-Naki area of Hajira tehsil, adjacent to the Krishna Ghati sector, as a group of people were reportedly laying water pipes, officials said, citing preliminary information received from across the border.
The deceased were identified as Faizan Sagheer, Ishtiaq, Waqas Sharief and Asim Rafiq, residents of Battal Mandhol village.
The four were reportedly cousins.
Officials said the circumstances surrounding the explosion had not been established and that an improvised explosive device was suspected.
Indian security forces raised an alert and increased surveillance along the LoC following the blast, officials said.
In a separate incident, Army troops detected two rusted landmines near the border fence in the Basoni area of Mendhar sector on Monday.
The devices were found during track construction at about 8:25 am and 12:10 pm and were later destroyed in controlled explosions by Army experts, officials said.
Around a dozen landmines have been detected and defused in the area over the past week.
Landmines are deployed in forward areas along the LoC as part of anti-infiltration measures. Heavy rainfall can dislodge mines and expose them in areas where they may pose a danger, officials said.
