Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: A junior commissioned officer (JCO) and three other soldiers were injured in an accidental landmine explosion in J&K’s Rajouri district on June 19, officials said.
The explosion was caused by accidental activation of a landmine during an area domination patrol by the army in the forward Kalal area of the Nowshera sector of Rajouri.
“A JCO and three soldiers were injured in the blast and were immediately evacuated to a hospital for treatment,” an official said.
As part of the anti-infiltration drive, the forward areas are dotted with landmines, which sometimes get washed away by rain, resulting in such accidents.
Landmines which get washed away from their original place of implantation are called “drift mines”, and the majority of accidents caused to army patrols are caused by these drift mines.
J&K has a 740-Km long LoC situated in the Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts of the Valley, as well as the Rajouri, Poonch and partly in the Jammu district of the Jammu division.
In addition, there is a 240 km long international border situated in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts of Jammu division.
The LoC is guarded by the army, while the international border is guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF).
The deployed armed forces on the LoC and the international border prevent infiltration, exfiltration, smuggling and drone activity initiated from across the border. Drones are used by terror outfit handlers across the border on the Pakistani side to send payloads of arms, ammunition, cash, and drugs to sustain terrorism in J&K.
