Jammu, June 27 (IANS) A youth belonging to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was apprehended by the Army after he crossed the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said on Saturday.

Officials said Army soldiers apprehended a 26-year-old infiltrator, a resident of PoK, along the LoC in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The youth, identified as Mohammad Sajad, was taken into custody after entering the Indian side from across the border through the Gulpur area of the Krishna Ghati sector on Friday, the officials said.

Officials said preliminary questioning revealed that the individual was a resident of Polas village in the Abbaspur area of PoK. He told the interrogators that he had inadvertently crossed the LoC and entered the Indian side.

Security agencies are, however, verifying his claims and conducting further questioning to ascertain the circumstances surrounding his crossing, the officials said.

Many times, there have been inadvertent crossings on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir, and since the Army has not reported recovery of any weapon or incriminating document in the case of this latest incident, in all likelihood, it is a case of inadvertent crossing of the LoC.

An inadvertent crossing of the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir involves immediate detention by the Indian Army or security forces. Detainees are treated in accordance with strict military and humanitarian protocols and are repatriated across the border following standard verification checks.

The protocol for handling civilians or individuals who accidentally cross the LoC follows established humanitarian practices between India and Pakistan.

After troops apprehend the individual shortly after they cross the sensitive border area, security agencies conduct preliminary questioning. This verifies identity, rules out security concerns or infiltration intentions, and establishes that the crossing was indeed a mistake.

Once antecedents and motives are confirmed, individuals are repatriated to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds. This often occurs at formal border crossing points—such as the Chakan-Da-Bagh crossing in the Poonch district—in the presence of military, police, and civil officials.

During their stay in India, individuals are treated with dignity; they are provided with food, medical care, and safe living conditions.

–IANS

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