Four young men were killed Tuesday near the Line of Control in Pakistan-administered Kashmir when a landmine allegedly drifting from the Indian side exploded while they carried out routine repair work on a water pipeline, according to local officials. The explosion occurred near Mahandlah and Madarpur villages in Poonch district, killing the victims instantly.

The Directorate General of Public Relations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir identified the dead as Faizan Sagheer, Ishtiaq, Asim Rafiq and Waqas Sharif. The men had been working at a spring in the area when the device detonated, the DGPR said in a statement.

Islamabad alleges Indian negligence

Pakistani authorities warned that civilians and livestock remain vulnerable to landmines along the disputed frontier, blaming the danger on difficult terrain, unclear border demarcation and devices allegedly drifting from the Indian side. There was no immediate response from Indian authorities to the allegation.

Indian broadcaster NDTV claimed the men were attempting to infiltrate Indian territory, offering a conflicting account of the incident.

Diplomatic row deepens

The deaths follow the killing of two Pakistani civilians near the international border earlier this month, prompting Islamabad to accuse India’s Border Security Force of unjustified lethal force and summon the Indian charge d’affaires. India’s External Affairs Ministry subsequently summoned Pakistan’s charge d’affaires to reject what it called “baseless and motivated allegations.”

India and Pakistan both claim Kashmir but administer separate portions of the Himalayan territory, divided by the heavily militarized Line of Control — a frontier that has witnessed sporadic violence for decades.