Indian Landmines Continue to Consume Kashmiri Lives

On October 26th, a Kashmiri civilian was seriously injured in a landmine blast in Poonch district of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. 

40-year-old Haneef was gathering firewood on his land in Shahpur near the Line of Control when he unknowingly stepped on a landmine. He sustained severe injuries and was quickly evacuated to a hospital for treatment.

Incidents like these are tragically frequent in villages near the Line of Control, where landmines planted by the Indian Army continue to endanger local residents. Civilians, often unaware of hidden explosives around them, face constant risks, as these landmines are rarely marked or adequately flagged by military authorities. 

The presence of landmines not only threatens lives but also restricts access to essential land and resources, impacting agriculture and daily routines in these communities.

According to the research group, the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor, the total number of casualties among civilians is not officially recorded. But the group gathers the figures it can from a patchwork of anecdotal reports and media accounts. Between 1999 and 2015, the Monitor identified 3,191 victims of activated mines or improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and explosive remnants of war (ERW). Of these, 1,083 were killed and 2,107 were injured, with the fate of one victim unknown.

India is a state party to the Amended Protocol II of the Convention on Conventional Weapons. Article 4 of that convention requires ‘measures are taken to protect civilians from their effects, for example, the posting of warning signs, the posting of sentries, the issue of warnings or the provision of fences’.

In mountainous areas like Kashmir, however, landmines can slide down from their original position during rain or snowfall. So, even if there is a warning sign, it may be in the wrong place.

In 2016, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines urged the Indian state to cease all mine-laying activities and to join the 1997 Mine Ban Treaty. However, India is reported to be planning to lay more mines.