Rajouri, J&K :
Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday discovered an improvised explosive device (IED) during a cordon-and-search operation in Thanamandi, Rajouri, and neutralised it in a controlled detonation, officials said.
A security patrol spotted the suspicious object near a house in Upper Bangai village and immediately alerted the bomb disposal squad. After a on-site assessment, the explosive ordnance disposal team carried out a controlled explosion to destroy the device, authorities added.
The device caused partial damage to the home of Mohammad Akbar, but there were no injuries because the family had been moved to safety prior to the detonation, officials said.
The Rajouri find came a day after a deadly blast at Nowgam Police Station on the outskirts of Srinagar, which killed nine people and injured dozens while forensic teams were handling a large cache of explosives recovered earlier in an investigation linked to a Faridabad terror module.
Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat described the Nowgam explosion as accidental, saying the unstable nature of the recovered materials led to the detonation during routine forensic procedures; he urged against speculation about a terror link despite claims by a shadow group tied to Jaish-e-Muhammad.
Authorities confirmed the Nowgam victims included personnel from the State Investigation Agency, Forensic Science Laboratory staff, crime-wing officials, revenue officers and an assistant tailor; the blast also left many security and civilian personnel wounded and caused major damage to the police station and nearby buildings as investigations continue.
Security deployments have been stepped up across the region while investigators work to establish the precise sequence of events in the Nowgam incident and to trace the origin and transport route of the seized explosives, officials said.
