Two soldiers including an officer lost their lives in an IED blast in the Akhnoor sector in Jammu near the Line of Control (LoC) on Tuesday.
Army's White Knight Corps in a post on X said that a suspected IED blast was reported in the Laleali area of the Akhnoor Sector during a fence petrol.
Suspected Improvised Explosive Device blast reported in #Laleali in #Akhnoor Sector during a fence patrol resulting in two fatalities.
— White Knight Corps (@Whiteknight_IA) February 11, 2025
Own troops are dominating the area and search #operations are underway.
White Knight Corps salutes and pays tribute to the supreme sacrifice of…
"Suspected Improvised Explosive Device blast reported in #Laleali in #Akhnoor Sector during a fence patrol resulting in two fatalities. Own troops are dominating the area and search #operations are underway. White Knight Corps salutes and pays tribute to the supreme sacrifice of two gallant soldiers," it said.
The injured soldiers were taken for medical treatment but they succumbed.
The incident follows the killing of five militants during infiltration on February 5 at Batal in Poonch. The army said the militants were killed in a landmine explosion when they were trying to cross the LoC into Poonch.
Also read | CIK, SIA raid Srinagar central jail, recover gadgets linked to militant activities
At several places along the LoC, the army has planted landmines against infiltration. Such areas are generally designated as no man’s land.
Recently forest fires also triggered explosions near LoC.
The killing of three soldiers comes at a time when the army has heightened vigil on the LoC given the possible infiltration attempts.
In the last three years, Poonch and Rajouri have witnessed infiltration of militants and a rise in militant attacks in which more than 50 security forces personnel, mostly from the army have died. Several civilians have also lost their lives in the attack. The most notable being the attack on a bus carrying pilgrims from outside Kashmir at Katra. Nine civilians, seven pilgrims, a driver and a conductor, were killed when the bus fell into a gorge followed firing by militants. The bus was travelling to Shiv Khori.
Later, the police arrested some people who had acted as guides and provided logistics to the militants.
