Four men were killed on Monday when a landmine exploded near the Line of Control in Hajira tehsil, Poonch district, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Dawn reports, citing the territory’s Directorate General of Public Relations.
The DGPR said, citing initial reports, that the men were repairing a pipeline that carries spring water when a landmine floated into the area from the Indian side and exploded. All four died on the spot. The statement said floating mines remain a threat to civilians and livestock because the border is unclear close to the Line of Control. It gave no further details.
What officials said
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 and offered condolences. In a statement carried by Dawn, he said India was killing Kashmiris in the occupied territory and along the Line of Control, including people herding cattle, cutting fodder and collecting medicinal plants. He blamed the deaths on the unresolved Kashmir dispute, which he attributed to India’s reluctance.
Names reported by Geo
Dawn’s report does not name the four men. Geo News identifies them as Faizan Sagheer, Ishtiaq, Asim Rafiq and Waqas Sharif, and says the blast was at Mehndla Madarpur village while they repaired a water pipeline. Geo also describes them as youths. Dawn’s DGPR account says four men.
