Four suspected Pakistani infiltrators, including a top Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, were reported killed in a landmine blast along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Monday.
LeT Commander among four reportedly killed
The blast was initially reported in a forward village in the Krishna Ghati sector, near the zero line along the Pakistan border. The Indian Army had not officially confirmed the incident at the time of reporting. In a separate development on Monday, Army personnel detected two rusted landmines near the border fence in the Basoni area of the Mendhar sector while carrying out track construction.
The incident prompted security forces to increase vigilance along the border amid concerns over further infiltration attempts. However, the Indian Army had not issued an official confirmation of the incident, and accounts of the circumstances surrounding the deaths differed. Early reports described it as a suspected improvised explosive device (IED) explosion in the Satwal-Naki area, where a group of people was reportedly moving along the Pakistani side of the LoC. The deceased were identified in media reports as Muhammad Faizan, described as a senior LeT commander, and three others named Muhammad Waqas, Muhammad Ishtiaq and Muhammad Asim. However, the circumstances of the incident remained disputed. Following the blast, security forces sounded an alert across the Krishna Ghati sector and stepped up surveillance along the LoC to assess the situation and prevent any possible security breach. Around a dozen landmines have reportedly been detected and defused in the area over the past week. Landmines form part of the anti-infiltration defences along forward areas of the LoC. Heavy rainfall can sometimes dislodge them from their original positions, creating potential hazards in nearby areas.
The devices were spotted at 8.25 am and 12.10 pm and were subsequently destroyed by Army experts in controlled explosions.
Four suspected infiltrators were killed when a landmine exploded near Nangi Tekri, a strategic location in the Krishna Ghati sector that has been used as an infiltration route, according to reports. Sources cited by The Tribune said troops spotted four bodies following the explosion. The report said the Pakistani Army later retrieved two bodies, while the other two remained at the site until late evening.
