J&K: BSF recovers IED in Nowgam sector in Kupwara

The Border Security Force (BSF) troops detected an improvised explosive device (IED) hidden under a culvert on the Handwara-Nowgam road in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara on Monday.

In the morning, jawans of BSF who were part of the road opening party (ROP) found a suspicious object hidden under the culvert. The traffic on the highway was halted till the object was removed by the bomb disposal squad. The place where the object was recovered is frequently used by the security forces to travel towards the Line of Control in Nowgam sector where both BSF and the army are deployed and there is frequent convoy movement along the highway.

BSF spokesman said that about 7:45am on Monday ROP party of E/54 Battalion recovered an IED in general area Bhattpura village near culvert on Handwara-Nowgam highway.

Police, however, termed the recovered explosive as an old mortar shell. “An information was generated wherein a road opening party of BSF said it recovered an IED on a close assessment, the recovered ammunition turned out to be an old mortar shell that may have been lying at the site for a quite a time”, the police said.