4 Cousins Killed in LoC Blast in Poonch

MUZAFFARABAD/JAMMU, Oct 12: Four young Kashmiri men, all cousins belonging to the same family, were killed in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Monday.

This has triggered sharply conflicting accounts from Indian security officials and local sources in Pakistan-administered Jammu and Kashmir.

Indian security sources described the four as Pakistani militants, including a senior Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander, who were attempting to infiltrate into Indian-administered Kashmir through the Krishna Ghati sector.

However, relatives and local sources in Hajira tehsil of Pakistan administered Kashmir rejected the infiltration claim. They maintained that the four were civilians who had gone to repair a pipeline supplying water to their homes from a nearby mountain spring.

One of those killed, Sardar Faizan Sagheer, was identified by local sources as an activist associated with the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), an organisation advocating an independent Jammu and Kashmir and part of recent protests in PaJK.

The other three victims were identified as Sardar Ishtiaq, Sardar Asim Rafiq and Sardar Waqas Sharif.

All four were reportedly between 20 and 30 years old and belonged to the Doli community of Madarpur village, near Batul Mandhol in Hajira tehsil.

Senior journalist Sardar Zahid Tabassum, editor-in-chief of the daily Kashmir Express, told Kashmir Times that the four young men were sons of his cousins and belonged to a single extended family.

According to Tabassum, they had gone to a nearby spring to repair pipelines carrying drinking water to their homes when an explosive device detonated.

He disputed the Indian account that the men were attempting to cross the LoC.

Local residents alleged that Indian forces had planted explosive devices near the spring. However, Kashmir Times could not independently establish the origin or nature of the explosive device or determine who had placed it.

Conflicting Accounts

Indian media, citing security officials, reported that the explosion occurred in the Satwal-Naki area of the Krishna Ghati sector, a route described by Indian authorities as a traditional infiltration corridor.

The four were identified in Indian reports as Muhammad Ishtiaq, Muhammad Faizan, Muhammad Waqas and Muhammad Asim, all residents of the Hajira area across the LoC.

Some Indian security sources alleged that Muhammad Faizan was a senior commander of the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba militant organisation.

However, accounts emerging from Indian security sources were themselves inconsistent.

While NDTV and other Indian media outlets reported that four Lashkar-e-Taiba militants had been killed during an infiltration attempt, the Press Trust of India (PTI), citing officials, initially reported that the identities and intentions of those caught in the explosion remained unclear.

According to the PTI account, officials had yet to establish whether the group comprised suspected infiltrators or Pakistani security personnel.

The differing versions raised further questions about the circumstances of the explosion and the basis for identifying the dead as militants.

No independently verifiable evidence establishing their alleged militant affiliations or an attempted infiltration had been made public in the reports available at the time.

Indian officials also acknowledged that the precise circumstances surrounding the explosion had yet to be established.

Security forces subsequently heightened surveillance and sounded an alert along the LoC.

Family Disputes Infiltration Claim

Tabassum said the explosion occurred approximately one kilometre from the fence erected along the LoC.

He explained that the terrain in this sector was particularly complicated, with Indian military positions located beyond the fence towards the Pakistan-administered Kashmir side.

According to him, thick seasonal grass could have concealed explosive material on the ground, making it difficult for the young men to detect the danger.

The local account places the victims near a water source regularly used by villagers, rather than on an organised infiltration mission.

Residents said access to mountain springs and water pipelines was essential for families living in villages close to the LoC. Such journeys frequently take villagers through difficult terrain near military installations and areas potentially contaminated by explosives.

The identification of Faizan Sagheer as a JKLF activist has also raised questions about the Indian description of him as a Lashkar-e-Taiba commander.

The JKLF has historically advocated independence for the former princely state of Jammu and Kashmir, a political objective distinct from Lashkar-e-Taiba's position favouring Kashmir's accession to Pakistan.

Nevertheless, Faizan's reported JKLF association, by itself, does not establish the circumstances of his death or conclusively disprove the Indian allegation.

Landmine Dangers Along LoC

The incident has once again drawn attention to the dangers posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance in civilian areas along the heavily militarised LoC.

Indian officials themselves acknowledged the presence of extensive minefields in forward areas as part of anti-infiltration arrangements.

In a separate incident on Monday, Indian Army personnel detected two rusted landmines near the border fence in the Basoni area of the Mendhar sector.

According to Indian officials, the devices were discovered during track construction at approximately 8:25 AM and 12:10 PM. Army specialists subsequently destroyed both mines in controlled explosions.

Officials noted that heavy rainfall sometimes dislodges buried mines and carries them into areas where they can endanger civilians.

For residents of villages along the LoC, the presence of explosive devices poses a continuing threat, particularly in areas where agricultural land, water sources and civilian pathways lie close to military positions.

The deaths of the four cousins have renewed concerns about civilian safety and the risks faced by communities living close to the ceasefire line.

The competing accounts remain fundamentally at odds. Indian security sources have alleged that the victims were militants attempting infiltration, while relatives and local sources insist they were young villagers carrying out routine repairs to their drinking-water supply.

The inconsistencies within the initial Indian reports have further complicated efforts to establish what happened.

An independent investigation, including verification of the explosion site, forensic examination of the device and testimony from local witnesses, would be necessary to establish the circumstances of the four deaths and determine responsibility.