Hamirpur soldier dies in mine blast along LoC in Poonch

During monsoon, anti-personnel mines drift away from their place and pose a threat to soldiers on the LoC.

A soldier died along the Line of Control (LoC) in Krishna Ghati (KG) sector in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on late Friday night reportedly after accidentally stepping over a mine during a patrol.

Sepoy Kamal Dev Vaidya, aged 27, hailed from Ghumarwin village in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. (HT FILE)

During monsoon, anti-personnel mines drift away from their place and pose a threat to soldiers on the LoC.

The deceased soldier has been identified as Sepoy Kamal Dev Vaidya, a native of Hamirpur in Himachal Pradesh. “On Friday night, Sepoy Kamal Dev Vaidya was on an operational duty in Krishna Ghati Sector. While moving during the duty, Sepoy Kamal Dev Vaidya was critically injured in an accidental mine blast. He was immediately evacuated to the nearest medical facility but later succumbed to his injuries,” said a defence spokesman.

Sepoy Kamal Dev Vaidya, aged 27, hailed from Ghumarwin village in Hamirpur district of Himachal Pradesh. He is survived by his mother Vanita Devi.

“Sepoy Kamal Dev Vaidya was a brave, highly motivated and sincere soldier. The nation will always remain indebted to him for the supreme sacrifice and devotion to duty,” said the spokesperson.

On March 30, a similar balloon with the letters PIA written on it was found in Mendhar in Poonch. Similar balloons were found in the Hiranagar area of Kathua on March 9 and in Gharsana, Rajasthan, on March 11. On March 16, it was recovered in Bhalwal area of Jammu and 10 days later, another such balloon was found at Dera Baba Nanak, Batala, in Punjab. On March 29, it was again recovered in the Kanachak area of Jammu.