J&K: Indian Army mourns loss of 5 soldiers in tragic Poonch accident, terror angle ruled out

The Indian Army on Wednesday expressed profound grief following the tragic loss of five soldiers in a road accident in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday evening.

Jammu and Kashmir: Indian Army mourns loss of 5 soldiers in tragic Poonch accident, terror angle ruled out snt

Sunita Iyer

First Published Dec 25, 2024, 11:44 AM IST | Last Updated Dec 25, 2024, 11:44 AM IST

The Indian Army on Wednesday expressed profound grief following the tragic loss of five soldiers in a road accident in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday evening. Subedar Dayanand Tirakannavar, Lance Havildar Anoop, Naik Ghadge Shubham Samadhan, Sepoy Nikure Digamber, and Sep Mahesh Marigond lost their lives when an Army vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a 300-feet deep gorge.

The incident occurred in the Gharoa area while a convoy of six vehicles was en route from Nilam Headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post. According to a defense spokesperson, the cause of the accident is still being investigated, with initial indications suggesting that the driver may have lost control of the vehicle at a sharp turn.

"#GeneralUpendraDwivedi #COAS and All Ranks of #IndianArmy express profound grief on the loss of Subedar Dayanand Tirakannavar, Lance Havildar Anoop, Naik Ghadge Shubham Samadhan, Sepoy Nikure Digamber and Sep Mahesh Marigond in a tragic and unfortunate road accident, while on operational duty in #Poonch, J & K. Indian Army extends its deepest condolences and stands firm with the bereaved families in this hour of grief," wrote the Army in a post on X.

On Tuesday, rescue teams promptly reached the site, recovering the bodies of the five fallen soldiers from the deep gorge. The injured soldiers were rushed to the field hospital in Poonch, where one remains in critical condition. The Army ruled out any terrorism-related causes for the incident, confirming that the area had no known security threats at the time.

"One 2.5 Ton vehicle, part of a convoy of six vehicles, while moving on the operational track near Poonch, went off the road into a nallah. Operational track is on the home side of the LOC fence," the defence spokesperson said in a statement.

"A terrorist Initiated Incident positively ruled out after confirming from ground sources. Own post approximately 130 m from the incident site and backup vehicle was barely 40 meters away," he added.

The loss of the soldiers was met with deep sorrow from political leaders across India. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah offered his heartfelt condolences to the families of the soldiers, calling the incident "tragic" and extending his sympathies for their sacrifice.

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