Srinagar: A major terror plot was averted with the discovery of a 20kg-Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and its defusal in Handwara sub district of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning, defence officials said.
This is the second IED which was detected and defused in the last four days in north Kashmir districts.
On October 15, an 18 kilos IED was detected and defused in Bandipora district.
The 20-kilo IED was detected in the Langate area along the Handwara Baramulla highway.
A Srinagar based defence spokesman said a joint operation by Indian Army and Police was launched early Wednesday based on spotting a suspicious object with wires astride near Langate at about 5.45 am.
“Search parties of the Army and JKP were immediately deployed and the area was cordoned by the security forces. Explosive Detection Canines of the Army were deployed, who positively confirmed the presence of explosives,” the spokesman said.
He said an Indian Army bomb disposal squad was rushed in to the location to neutralise the IED.
“The bomb disposal squad destroyed the estimated 20 kg IED in situ without any collateral damage,” the spokesman said.
Security forces with their swift operation averted a major terror plot by timely neutralisation of the IED, he added.
The traffic which was halted on the highway for some hours, was resumed at about 10 am, after the area was thoroughly sanitised.
The Handwara-Baramulla highway is an important road for civil traffic as well as for the Army and Central Armed Police Force convoys.
