The Indian Army on Saturday, 10 October confirmed that it detected and safely destroyed five landmines along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, preventing a potential threat to civilians and security personnel in the sensitive border zone.

How the Mines Were Found

According to Army officials, two landmines were detected by an Army patrol party near the border fence in the Basoni Top area on Saturday morning. Three additional mines had been located in the same area the previous day, bringing the total to five over a two-day operation.

'The explosives were subsequently destroyed through controlled explosions by the Bomb Disposal Squad of the Army without causing any damage,' officials said.

The Drift Landmine Threat

The forward areas along the LoC are embedded with landmines as part of an anti-infiltration obstacle system. However, Army officials noted that heavy rainfall can dislodge mines from their original positions, causing them to surface in unexpected locations — a phenomenon technically referred to as 'drift landmines'.

Drift landmines are mines that physically shift from their originally mapped positions due to natural forces such as floods, heavy rains, or landslides. Because they migrate away from marked minefields, they are particularly dangerous — catching civilians and even security forces completely off-guard in areas not previously considered hazardous.

Why Drift Mines Are So Dangerous

Drift landmine explosions cause severe trauma, including soft-tissue damage, skeletal fractures, and traumatic amputations. Globally, according to available humanitarian data, nearly four out of ten landmine victims die from their injuries, largely because such incidents occur in remote areas far from emergency medical care.

Civilians account for more than 80 per cent of all landmine casualties, with children disproportionately affected due to their smaller size and greater vulnerability to blast waves. The unpredictable and untraceable nature of drift mines amplifies their humanitarian, economic, and environmental impact.

Context and Broader Significance

The Poonch sector has historically been one of the most active stretches of the LoC, with regular incidents involving infiltration attempts and cross-border threats. This comes amid ongoing security operations in Jammu and Kashmir, where the Army has intensified patrolling in forward areas. The timely detection and controlled destruction of these mines underscores the critical role of routine border surveillance in averting civilian casualties in the region.

With the onset of post-monsoon conditions, Army officials are expected to continue enhanced vigilance for additional drift mines across vulnerable stretches of the LoC.