NCO looses foot in mine blast;militant hideout busted in Poonch

Jammu, Feb 26 (UNI) A Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) of the Army lost his foot in a mine blast while Rashtriya Rifles (RR) troops recovered a huge quantity of explosives from a militant hideout in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, a defence spokesman today said.

Lance Naik Jholimav lost his foot after he stepped on an anti-personal mine accidentally while carrying out maintenance of the mine drain in Bump III, North-East of the district, the spokesman said.

''His foot below right ankle was blown off in the incident,'' the spokesman said, adding the amputation was carried out at the Army Medical Unit.

Also, based on a tip-off, troops of Romeo Force recovered a cache in general area Phagwari, Poonch, comprising three radio sets, three anti-personnel mines and two Remote Control IEDs and warlike stores, the spokesman added UNI VJ KD RK2145