Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 9: A day after three blasts rocked the Line of Control (LoC) in Sabjian sub sector in Poonch district, militants today detonated another Improvised Explosive Device (IED) or landmine on the LoC at forward area of Khokhri in Digwar sub sector of Poonch causing injuries to two Army soldiers.
Meanwhile, Army today recovered dead body of the porter, who was killed in the IED/mine blast at Sabjian yesterday morning and handed it over to his family for burial.
Body of Javed Iqbal son of Ghulam Rasool, a resident of village Gagrian in Poonch district, the dead porter, was recovered at 10 am today, official sources said, adding that the Army jawans displayed extra ordinary courage in retrieving the body amidst firing by the Pakistani troops.
Troops hadn’t recovered the body yesterday as the area, where it was lying, fell within the close firing range of forward Pakistan Army posts. Pakistan Army fired at the Indian soldiers when they went to the spot to recover the body. The brave jawans managed to take the body amidst firing without suffering any casualties.
Troops handed over the body to local police, which got the post-mortem conducted on it and then gave it to the family for burial. The body was buried this afternoon. Sources said the porter would be given financial help under the rules.
Yesterday, the local people had held a massive demonstration against Pakistan Army for their firing on the porters and not allowing the troops to retrieve his body.
As reported, a porter, hired by the Army along with others, was killed and three others were injured while two mules also perished in three IED/mine blasts triggered by the militants at the LoC at Sabjian sub sector when the porters were transporting goods of the Army from one place to another.
At 5 am today, another mine blast took place at forward area of Khokhri in Digwar sub sector of Poonch causing injuries to two Army jawans. They have been identified as Lance/Havaldar Nageshwar Singh and Subedar Satinder Pandey.
Army jawans evacuated the injured from the site and shifted them to Military Hospital, Poonch, where their condition was stated to be stable.
Sources said the Army jawans were patrolling the forward areas in wee hours of this morning when the blast occurred. It couldn’t be ascertained immediately as to whether the IED/mine was detonated by remote control from across the LoC or it went off when the soldiers stepped over it.
Troops have recently discovered that the militants were planting IED/mines in the areas close to the LoC ahead of fencing to inflict casualties on the Army. Troops have been maintaining high alert on the LoC in twin border districst of Rajouri and Poonch to thwart infiltration attempts by the militants under the garb of IEDs/mines.
Army was anticipating that the militants could make more intrusion bids in the days to come.
Meanwhile, Army today said that the IED attack triggered by suspected militants along the LoC in Sabjian sub sector of Poonch district was “purposely” directed against innocent and unarmed civilian porters.
“The Army strongly condemns this cowardly attack from across the Line of Control, which has been purposely directed against innocent and unarmed civilian porters,” a spokesman of Ministry of Defence (MoD) said here tonight.
The Army will extend all possible assistance to the family of the deceased porter, he said, adding that the injured person will also be duly compensated.
The owner of the pony, which was killed in the blast, will also be compensated, the spokesperson said.
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