Jammu, May 17 – An army havaldar sustained injuries in a landmine explosion during a routine patrol near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Saturday afternoon, officials confirmed.
The incident occurred in the forward Digwar sector, where landmines form a part of an anti-infiltration obstacle system. These landmines, often disrupted by seasonal rains, can pose a danger even to friendly troops.
The injured soldier was swiftly evacuated and admitted to a hospital for medical treatment, officials said.
Mortar Shell Destroyed in Samba District
In a separate incident earlier on Saturday, a Bomb Disposal Squad carried out a controlled detonation of an unexploded mortar shell near the Regal border outpost in Samba district. Villagers spotted the shell and immediately alerted authorities. A team of experts safely neutralized the device.Security forces have intensified ordnance clearance operations along the LoC and the International Border, defusing dozens of unexploded devices in recent days.
Tensions Ease After Bilateral Understanding
These developments follow Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s May 10 announcement that India and Pakistan had reached an agreement to halt all military actions across land, air, and sea with immediate effect.This de-escalation came in the wake of Operation Sindoor, under which India conducted precision strikes on terror infrastructure on May 7. The operation was a retaliatory measure following the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam.
Despite this understanding, Pakistan reportedly attempted retaliatory strikes on Indian military installations on May 8, 9, and 10, according to official sources.
