HAJIRA (Kashmir English): Four young men were martyred in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in the village of Mahandla in Hajira tehsil, Poonch district.
According to sources, the youths had reportedly gone to repair a water pipeline connected to a spring when the explosive device detonated near the water source, killing all four on the spot.
According to local sources, the explosion was caused by an anti-personnel landmine laid by the Indian forces. The landmine had possibly drifted from Indian-occupied Kashmir into Azad Kashmir.
The deceased were identified as Sardar Faizan Saghir, Sardar Ishtiaq, Sardar Asim Rafique and Sardar Waqas Sharif. They were reportedly between 20 and 30 years of age.
The bodies of the deceased have been shifted to the Tehsil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Hajira.
Commissioner Poonch Sardar Waheed has confirmed the incident and stated that the nature of the explosion is being ascertained.
The incident triggered fear and grief in the area, with residents mourning the deaths of the four young men.
