Major tragedy averted on Amarnath route

Police averts a measure tragedy by timely detection of an IED planted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, en route to Amarnath.

Police averted a measure tragedy on Saturday by timely detection of an improvised explosive device (IED) planted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, en route to the holy cave shrine of Amarnath.

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The IED was discovered planted outside a degree college in south Kashmir's Khannabal area, 54 km from Srinagar, according to a senior police official. Traffic movement on the road was suspended for several hours.

The route is also used for the annual pilgrimage to the Himalayan cave shrine of Lord Shiva in Kashmir. The pilgrimage, which was scheduled to begin on Saturday, has already been suspended due to heavy rainfall in the Kashmir Valley.

The rainfall has affected both routes to the cave via north Kashmir's Baltal and south Kashmir's Pahalgam.