Jammu and Kashmir: Grenade blast along LOC kills Army captain, junior officer in Poonch

In a major mishap, an accidental grenade blast occurred along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, killing an army captain and a junior commissioned officer (JOC), officials said on Monday, as per PTI reports.

The blast occurred when the Indian army troops were performing their duties in the Mendhar sector late Sunday night, PRO Defence Jammu Lt Col Devender Anand said. The injured were rushed to the hospital immediately but succumbed to their injuries later.

According to the official statement of the Defence spokesperson, “On the night of 17 Jul 2022, an accidental Grenade blast occurred in the Mendhar Sector, District Poonch when troops were performing their duties along the LoC.”

As per IANS reports, the spokesperson added, “The blast resulted in injuries to soldiers who were immediately evacuated by helicopter to Udhampur.”

The blast resulted in injuries to Captain Anand and JCO Naib Subedar Bhagwan Singh. Though they were immediately evacuated by helicopter to Command Hospital in Udhampur, they succumbed to injuries during treatment, Lt Col Anand said, as per PTI reports.

Captain Anand hails from Champa Nagar area in Bihar's Bhagalpur district and Naib Subedar Bhagwan Singh is from Pokhar Bhitta village in Uttar Pradesh's Ambedkar Nagar district.

More details regarding the incident are awaited.

(With PTI, IANS inputs)

READ | Monkeypox in India: Know measures carried out by Centre to control outbreak of virus