Two Soldiers Injured In Landmine Blast While Defusing Explosive In J&K's Poonch

Two Army personnel were injured after a landmine exploded while they were attempting to defuse it in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said on Thursday.

The incident occurred on Wednesday night in the Kanga Gali area of the Mendhar sector after an Army patrol spotted the explosive device and a bomb disposal team was called in to neutralise it.

Blast During Defusal Operation

According to officials, the landmine exploded while the soldiers were trying to defuse it.

The injured personnel were immediately shifted to an Army hospital for treatment.

Officials said the landmine had been detected by a patrolling party before experts were deployed to safely dispose of it.

Drift Landmines Pose Persistent Threat Along LoC

Officials said the forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) are dotted with landmines as part of the anti-infiltration obstacle system.

Heavy monsoon rain, flash floods and soil erosion often dislodge these explosives, creating what are known as "drift landmines".

Such landmines are washed into previously cleared or unmarked areas, posing a serious risk to patrolling soldiers, border residents and livestock.

Officials said many accidents along the LoC are caused by drift landmines, particularly after severe weather erodes the mountainous terrain and shifts buried explosives into patrol routes and streams.

Similar incidents have occurred in the past in Baramulla, Poonch and Rajouri districts, where minefields form part of the anti-infiltration grid.

Unexploded Ordnance Destroyed In Poonch

In a separate incident, a rusted unexploded ordnance believed to be a hand grenade was recovered from the Nalwa Degwar Terwan area of Poonch.

Officials said labourers engaged in road construction noticed the device and alerted authorities.

The Army's bomb disposal squad later destroyed the unexploded ordnance safely.