Mehdhar/Jammu, Mar 7: Security forces safely defused a live mortar shell discovered in a forward village near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Saturday, officials said.
The unexploded ordnance was spotted by a resident in Brari village in the Sawjian sector, who promptly informed the nearby Army unit and the local police authorities.
Following the alert, a bomb disposal team was deployed to the location. The squad secured the area and successfully neutralised the mortar shell without causing any damage, officials added.
Preliminary assessment indicated that the shell had likely been fired from across the border earlier but failed to explode on impact.
Authorities noted that such recoveries are not uncommon in border districts like Poonch. Explosive remnants from past ceasefire violations often remain buried or undetected for long periods before being discovered.
Officials also warned that unexploded ordnance poses a significant threat to civilians living close to the border. Security personnel and bomb disposal units are regularly called in to clear these dangerous remnants to prevent accidents and ensure the safety of local residents.