Baramulla (Jammu and Kashmir): A major tragedy was averted on Thursday when the security forces detected an improvised explosive device (IED) in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district.
Police said security forces, including the counter-insurgency Rashtriya Rifles and local police, recovered an IED on the main road in the Watergam area of Baramulla.
"Traffic on the road has been stopped. The bomb disposal squad is defusing the IED," police said.
The IED was apparently planted by militants to target security forces, the official said.
Also read:IED defused in J&K's Kupwara district
IEDs are planted by militants on roads and highways in Kashmir to target convoys of the security forces and cavalcades of VIPs.
Before the movement of convoys or any VIP is cleared, road opening parties (ROPs) of the army and paramilitary forces equipped with bomb-detecting equipment and assisted by sniffer dogs are moved out to ensure that the passage of the security force convoys and VIP movement is secured.
This was the second IED found by security forces in north Kashmir in the past four days. A similar IED was recovered by security forces from Drugmulla area of Kupwara district on Monday.
With input from agencies
