ALPURI, Aug 22: An army man died and four others received serious injuries when their vehicle hit a remote controlled explosive device near Dandai Mera on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) on Friday.

Soon after the incident, army personnel took control of the area and started a search operation. Sporadic gun fires were heard in the area but it could not be ascertained if the forces were targeting militants or firing in the air. The KKH, connecting Pakistan with China, was closed for all sorts of traffic as big contingents of army and police cordoned off the area.

According to sources, some army personnel had gone from Karora to Dandai, around 65kms from Shangla district headquarters of Alpuri, to oversee a development scheme, and the incident occurred when they were returning back.—Correspondent