Jammu and Kashmir: Security forces recover, destroy 18 kg IED in Bandipora

Bandipora news: The vehicular movement on the Bandipora-Sopore road between Badyara and Kanbathi villages in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district had been halted after security forces detected an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), officials said on Saturday (October 15).

Police said an IED weighing 18 kg was recovered by the security forces on Bandipora-Sopore road today. They further added that the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) had been informed while the vehicular movement on the highway had been halted as a precautionary measure. 

Speaking about the incident, Srinagar-based Public Relations Officer (Defence) Col Emron Musavi said that based on intelligence received from the police and corroborated by the army, a joint operation was launched in the early hours of Saturday.

"Search parties were immediately deployed and an area of 300-meter radius was cordoned off. The IED was detected at about 08.35 am," he said. The Bandipora-Sopore highway is an important line of communication for civil traffic as well as for the army and CAPF convoys.

Earlier on October 8, the security forces foiled an attempt by Pakistan-sponsored terrorists as they recovered three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and sticky bombs from the Billawer area of the Kathua district. According to the police, the recovery was made on the disclosure of a Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terrorist arrested from Kathua on October 2.

While addressing mediapersons, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kathua, RC Kotwal said, "On the tight interrogation and disclosure of arrested former terrorist Zakir Hussain Bhat, resident of Malad Billawer, Kathua has recovered the high explosive as three Sticky Bomb, three detonators, a remote control, and allied material used for explosive which was packed in a bag and hidden in a hideout in Malad area of Billawer."

Kathua SSP further said that the police have averted a major tragedy that could be happened if such materials were not recovered." As the festival season is going and the explosive could be used anywhere," he said.

He said Zakir was arrested on October 2 from the Billawer area and police had also recovered a sticky bomb and Rs 20000 from his procession.

"After hard interrogation police succeed in higher recovery. Pakistan wants to activate the former terrorists to revive the militancy in a peaceful area," said the SSP.

He said further interrogation is going on to get disclosure from arrested terrorists.

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