Four Indian Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and three soldiers, were injured in an accidental landmine explosion during a patrol near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Tuesday.
According to officials, the incident occurred during an area domination exercise in the forward Kalal sector when a landmine unexpectedly detonated. The injured personnel were immediately evacuated from the site and shifted to a hospital for treatment. Their condition has not been officially disclosed.
The forward areas along the LoC are heavily mined as part of the Army’s anti-infiltration security network. Security officials noted that adverse weather conditions, particularly heavy rainfall, can sometimes dislodge or shift landmines from their original positions, increasing the risk of accidental explosions during patrols and operational activities.
The latest incident adds to a series of accidental military explosions reported along the LoC in recent days. On June 12, two soldiers from the 12 Bihar Regiment sustained serious injuries in a grenade blast during a training exercise in Poonch district. Earlier, on June 10, two soldiers from the 8 Rashtriya Rifles lost their lives in an accidental explosion near the LoC in the Kamalkote area of Uri in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The recurring incidents have highlighted the challenges faced by security forces operating in heavily fortified border regions, where landmines and explosive devices remain a crucial part of the defence infrastructure but also pose risks to troops conducting routine operations and training exercises.
