At least five soldiers died and five others, including the driver, were seriously injured after their vehicle veered off the road along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district on Tuesday evening.

“All ranks of the #WhiteKnightCorps extend their deepest condolences on the tragic loss of five brave soldiers in a vehicle accident while on operational duty in the #Poonch sector. Rescue operations are underway and injured servicemen are receiving medical treatment,” the army’s Nagrota-based White Knight Corps wrote on X.

An official press release published by the army said here that the vehicle, part of a military convoy, had left the road near the LoC.

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“A 2.5 tonne vehicle, part of a six-vehicle convoy, while traveling on the operational track near Poonch, left the road and plunged into a Nullah (stream). The operational runway is on the Indian (Indian) side of the LoC fence,” the statement read.

The accident happened around 5:20 p.m. (5:20 p.m.). The injured were evacuated to the Poonch field hospital. “The causes of the accident are being identified. It is possible that the driver lost control on a bend (in the road).

An incident of terrorist origin was positively ruled out after confirmation from ground sources. His own post was approximately 130 meters from the scene of the incident and a rescue vehicle was barely 40 meters away,” it reads further.

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Earlier, a senior intelligence official said, “Today, at around 5:20 p.m. (5:20 p.m.), a military vehicle of 11 Maratha Light Infantry, which was heading from Nilam headquarters towards Balnoi Ghora post on along the LoC, met with an accident near Ghora Post.

The vehicle fell into a deep gorge, about 150 feet deep, causing serious injuries to 10 soldiers, including the driver, he added. A quick reaction team (QRT) comprising 11 Maratha Light Infantry and a group of police personnel from Mankote rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations.