Srinagar: Government forces today averted a major tragedy after they found and defused an improvised explosive device (IED), weighing approximately five kilogram’s, on Srinagar-Baramulla highway, a police official said.
The IED was found in Shalteng area of Srinagar this morning, the official said.
The official said that a patrol party of 44 BN CRPF discovered the IED on the highway around 4 am. Soon, he said, traffic movement on the highway was suspended and the entire area was sealed by the army and the police.
A Bomb disposal squad defused the IED around 11 am without causing any damage. The traffic was regulated after the operation was over, the official added.
Earlier, this month an IED went off in north Kashmir’s Sopore town killing four policemen on the spot. The attack was later claimed by Jaish group.
Meanwhile, later in the evening, panic gripped the Shalteng area again when Army resorted to aerial firing after a car fled away at a check-post in the same area. Two persons were reportedly injured in the firing.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar City Imtiaz Ismail Parray when contacted told a local news gathering agency that what actually happened near Shaltang in HMT is a matter of investigation. However, SSP said the army has stated that it had inputs about movement of militants in the area and fired when the vehicle did not stop despite being asked to do so.
“As per army, there was input about the movement of militants. It asked the vehicle to stop but instead it fled away as such they fired few rounds at them leading to the injuries to two persons”, the SSP said.
“Both the injured were hospitalised where their condition is said to be stable”, SSP said.
He said that a case has been registered and further investigations are going on.

Guest