Soldier killed, seven others injured
KD NEWS SERVICE
POONCH, May 22: An army soldier was killed and seven others sustained injuries in a blast along Line of Control (LoC) in Mendhar area of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday.
Official sources told a local news gathering agency that the blast took place at around 9:15 am at Dheri Dabsi, a forward area along the LoC in Mendhar. Eight soldiers were injured in the blast and were removed to nearby health facility where one of them identified as Naik Shreeshailappa Balabatti, 33 years-old (Belt No 261455211) was declared as brought dead, they said.
Two among the seven other injured personnel were shifted to army’s command hospital Udhampur for specialized treatment. The others owing to their minor injuries were treated locally, they said.
Jammu based army’s spokesman Col Devinder Anand confirmed death of the soldier and also informed that two of the injured, admitted in military hospital, are stable.
“On 22 May 2019 at 0915 hours, during a training activity on a military post in Mendhar Sector, one soldier was critically injured who later succumbed to his injuries. Two more soldiers who suffered non grievous injuries have been evacuated to the nearest Military Hospital and are stable,” the spokesman said in a statement.
Meanwhile, in an application to Police Station concerned for lodging an FIR, the army has stated that there was an accidental hand grenade blast during Mission Training Rehearsal in the 12 Madras unit in which the soldier died. According to the application accessed by GNS, the army has urged police to file an FIR so that mortal remains of the slain soldier are sent back to his native village at an earliest.
A police officer confirmed that an FIR under relevant sections of law has been registered and further investigations taken up. (GNS)
