Undetonated missile found near village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur
Defence personnel, district administration in process of safely removing intercepted by India’s air defence system on Thursday night.
Amid the escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, an undetonated missile landed in a secluded spot near Kumahi Devi village of Hoshiarpur district of Punjab on Thursday night. Armed forces personnel and the Hoshiarpur district administration were in the process of safely removing it on Friday.
Hoshiarpur was among the 16 of Punjab’s 23 districts to observe a complete blackout on Thursday night. The missile was intercepted by India’s air defence system and landed in the secluded site near the village, an official said.
Forensic experts and an anti-sabotage team were already at the spot.
This is the second such missile to be found in Hoshiarpur district since May 7 when India launched precision air strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan. The debris of a similar missile had fallen in the backyard of a resident at Ghagwal village of Hoshiarpur district on Wednesday night. It was later found to be a part of a missile neutralised by the IAF.
A senior police official, requesting anonymity, said the missile recovered on Thursday night was similar to the debris of one found in the district on Wednesday.
Deputy commissioner Aashika Jain said the area had been cordoned off and Indian Air Force (IAF) authorities had been informed about the recovery of the missile. “The IAF has a standing operating procedure (SOP) to clear remnants of a missile or other armed equipment,” Jain said.
She said that the district administration has been providing all logistics and machinery required to IAF for clearing the debris of the missile. “Civilian movement in and around the site has been restricted as the police have cordoned off the area for the safety of the people,” she said.
