Nine soldiers martyred in AJK road mishap

MUZAFFARABAD:

Nine soldiers of the Pakistan Army were martyred and four injured when their truck plunged into a ravine in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Sunday morning, according to the military’s media wing.

“A Pakistan Army vehicle met an accident and fell into a Nullah in Shaujabad, Bagh early this [Sunday] morning while on routine military duty. Resultantly, nine soldiers embraced martyrdom while four are injured," a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) read.

It added that that the injured soldiers were taken to Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Rawalpindi.

The funeral prayers of the martyred soldiers were offered at Mangla Garrison.
Rawalpindi Corps Commander Lt Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza and other military officials participated in the funeral prayers.

The bodies would be sent back to their hometowns and buried with “full military honours”, the ISPR added.

Read: Accident: Four dead as military truck falls into ravine

The truck — part of a military convoy — was heading towards Mang Bajri in Bagh district when the incident occurred near Shujaabad, some 12km before its destination, at about 4am on Sunday, Reuters quoted military officials as saying.

Local police said that the truck fell 500 feet down the ravine.

A police official said the noise from the crash alerted nearby residents. He added that the residents rushed to the scene with cellular phones and lanterns to carry out rescue work.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed his sorrow and grief over the accident.
In his message on Twitter, he wrote: “We pray to Allah Almighty to raise the ranks of the martyrs and give the bereaved patience.”

He added that the entire nation, including himself, paid homage to the young men who laid down their lives for the country's survival as well as their brave families.

AJK Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Ilyas expressed similar sentiments over the incident.

“They met this tragic accident in the line of their duty in the most difficult and rough terrains — a duty that makes us feel safe and secure in our homes,” he tweeted.

“May Allah accept their martyrdom and grant speedy recovery to their injured colleagues. My condolences to the bereaved families and Pakistan Army,” he added.

Road accidents frequently occur in the hilly areas of AJK and are mostly blamed on narrow roads with negligible safety measures as well as careless driving.

In November last year, a bus plunged into a ravine in AJK killing 22 passengers.

(With input from agencies)