Army officer among two soldiers killed in suspected IED blast in J&K’s Akhnoor

The troops were on patrolling duty when they were hit by the powerful explosion.

Srinagar: Two army soldiers, including a captain, were killed while another was injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) blast, suspected to be planted by terrorists, in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

The Army’s White Knight Corps confirmed the attack in an X post. “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. @adgpi @NorthernComd_IA,” Army said.

The powerful explosion took place near an army post when troops were on patrolling duty in the Laleali area of Akhnoor, injuring three soldiers, reports said. The injured were moved to a health facility, where two among them succumbed to their injuries.

Following the explosion, reinforcements were sent to the area, and a massive search operation was launched, officials said.

The attack marks the third incident of cross-border action by terrorists in the Jammu region in just four days. The latest incident occurred a day after Lieutenant General Navin Sachdeva, the General Officer Commanding of the White Knight Corps, reviewed “hostile activities” along the Line of Control in Rajouri district.

Earlier on Tuesday, at around 10 am, a mortar shell was discovered near the Partap Canal in Namandar village in Akhnoor sector. Local residents alerted authorities, prompting a police team and bomb disposal squad to safely defuse the explosive device.

On Monday, a soldier was shot by a bullet from across the border while on duty at a forward post in the Kalal area of Nowshera sector in Rajouri. On February 8, an Army patrol came under fire from terrorists positioned across the LoC in Rajouri’s Keri sector. The terrorists were reportedly attempting to infiltrate the Indian side.