Grenade, mortar shell found in Jammu, Udhampur defused

Rusted hand-grenade and old mortar shell found at high court complex and village in Jammu amid terror spike. Security forces conduct search operations.

Amid the spike in terror attacks, a rusted hand-grenade and an old mortar shell were recovered from the parking of the high court complex in Jammu city and a village in Udhampur district on Monday, officials said.

Security forces conduct a cordon and search operation (CASO) after two armed suspects were seen by local residents close to a vital army installation at Gharota village in Akhnoor sector of Jammu on Monday. (ANI Photo)

“Today, information was received at the police station at Janipur that an old rusted grenade was found in a bush behind the civil parking of the high court complex,” a police spokesperson said.

A bomb disposal squad was rushed to the spot and the rusted grenade was taken to a secluded place, where it was destroyed in a controlled explosion.

In another incident, an old mortar shell was recovered at Mian Bagh village of Udhampur district on Monday.

The shell was recovered by the police following information by local residents. The bomb disposal squad rushed to the spot and defused it safely.

Meanwhile, security forces conducted search operations in Jammu, Doda and Reasi districts following inputs of suspicious movements.

A joint operation by army, police and CRPF personnel was carried out at Lower Gharota, Thathi and adjoining areas in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district early on Monday after a villager reported suspicious movement of three persons in combat fatigues, officials said.

Security forces used drones to trace the suspects.

However, nothing suspicious was found during the searches that lasted for more than two hours.

In the Koti forest area in Doda district, the police, assisted by the army, launched a cordon and search operation around 9.30am following information about the presence of terrorists.

The combing operation is underway but no contact has been established with terrorists so far.

They said security forces conducted searches at Rumbal Nallah Kothian, Pouni, Dera Babbar, Kundle and Kanjli area of Reasi district on Monday morning.

Jammu region had been rattled by a spike in terror incidents, particularly in Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Reasi and Udhampur districts.

The general officer commanding of White Knight Corps, Lt Gen Navin Sachdeva, along with GOC, counter insurgency force, visited the lower Krishna Ghati (LKG) sector along the Line of Control in Poonch to assess the security situation.