Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 31

Indian Army troops apprehended a 22-year-old man from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after he crossed the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Uri sector, with preliminary questioning indicating he may have entered the area after developing an online relationship with a local woman, officials said on Sunday.

The man, identified as Zeeshan Mir from Muzaffarabad, was intercepted by troops while crossing the heavily guarded LoC in north Kashmir late Saturday, officials familiar with the investigation said.

According to officials, Mir told investigators he had been under emotional distress because of prolonged family disputes and financial pressure at home. During this period, he came into contact with a woman from Tulwari village in Uri through Snapchat, they said.

The two developed a close relationship over time, officials said, adding that Mir told interrogators he found comfort in learning that his ancestors originally belonged to the same border village where the woman lives.

Mir told investigators that discussions between the two eventually led to a plan for him to cross into the Indian side, surrender to the Army, and later seek to settle in Jammu and Kashmir after completing legal formalities, officials said.

He was taken into custody immediately after crossing the LoC and handed over for further questioning.

Authorities later called the woman for questioning to verify Mir’s account, officials said. She appealed to security agencies and local authorities to allow him to remain in Jammu and Kashmir instead of being deported, they added.

Officials said security agencies are examining the circumstances of the crossing and verifying Mir’s claims to rule out any security concerns or other possible motives before deciding the legal course of action.

In a post on X, the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps said its troops apprehended a “POJK intruder” while exercising restraint during the operation.

“A PoK intruder has been apprehended, who was intercepted by alert Chinar Warriors while crossing the Line of Control in Uri sector,” the Army said. “The vigilant troops maintained restraint while challenging the intruder and surgically apprehended the individual. Intruder handed over to JKP for further legal proceedings.”

Cross-LoC family links remain common in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly in frontier areas where many families remain divided between the two sides of Kashmir. Marriages and kinship ties across the LoC have historically continued in several border communities despite decades of conflict and restrictions on movement.