Daijiworld Media Network - Jammu

Jammu, Jun 27: Army personnel apprehended a 26-year-old man from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after he crossed the Line of Control (LoC) into Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said on Saturday.

The individual, identified as Mohammad Sajad, was taken into custody after entering Indian territory through the Gulpur area in the Krishna Ghati sector on Friday. He is a resident of Polas village in the Abbaspur region of PoK, officials said.

During initial questioning, Sajad claimed that he had unintentionally crossed the LoC and entered the Indian side by mistake. Security agencies are currently verifying his identity and investigating the circumstances surrounding the border crossing before reaching any conclusion.

Officials said no weapons, explosives or other incriminating material were recovered from the youth, indicating that the incident may be a case of an inadvertent crossing rather than an infiltration attempt. However, standard security procedures are being followed to establish the facts.

Incidents of civilians accidentally crossing the LoC have occurred on several occasions in the past, particularly in rugged border areas where the terrain can make the boundary difficult to identify.

Under established protocols, anyone found crossing the LoC is immediately detained by the Army or security forces for questioning. Authorities verify the individual's identity, background and intentions to rule out any security threat or infiltration motive.

If investigations confirm that the crossing was accidental and no adverse findings emerge, the individual is generally repatriated to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds through designated crossing points, including the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing in Poonch district. The process is carried out in coordination with military, police and civil authorities from both sides.

Officials said those detained under such circumstances are treated in accordance with humanitarian norms during their stay in India and are provided with food, medical assistance and other essential facilities until the verification process is completed.