Major tragedy averted on Kashmir highway

Srinagar, May 24: Jammu and Kashmir police today foiled a militant plan to target a security force convoy when they detected a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the Srinagar-Baramulla road.

Official sources said a police patrol party noticed a tin on the roadside at Lawaypora, about 15 km from here in north Kashmir this morning.

The entire area was cordoned off and traffic from all north Kashmir towns and villages stopped.

The bomb disposal squad was immediately summoned who defused the IED without causing any damage.

A police spokesman said the IED was planted to target security force convoy and other VIPs. However, timely action by police averted a tragedy, he said, adding that had it not been defused it would have caused much damage to life and property as the road remained busy with private and other transport.

About 50 soldiers were wounded in the same area last year when militants detonated a powerful IED damaging the private bus in which they were travelling from Baramulla to Srinagar.

UNI