KATHUA/JAMMU: A search operation has been launched after a powerful blast occurred in Hiranagar near the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district, creating a huge crater in the ground and triggering fear among the locals, officials said on Thursday.
Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Jammu Mukesh Singh told ANI that an explosion-like sound was heard near BPP Sanyal located along the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar in Kathua district in the late evening hours on Wednesday.
After receiving information about the blast, a police team led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Kathua, Shivdeep Singh Jamwal rushed to the site and started a search operation.
A live grenade was recovered following a search of the area on Thursday morning, SSP Jamwal told PTI.
"Information was received about a powerful blast around 9.30 PM on Wednesday. We launched a search operation this morning... The bomb squad team has collected the samples and sent it for testing", the SSP said.
"One live grenade was seized around 6.30 am today. It points out that someone lobbed the grenade after detecting the presence of security forces", the SSP added.
As the site of the blast is close to a police post, there is a possibility that the police post was the intended target. "It points out toward that. On Wednesday, our presence was more in this area, that is why they may have hurled a grenade and after that, they triggered an IED blast", the SSP said.
No injury has been reported so far. The official further said during the preliminary search it has observed that no movement of any article or human being has been found.
However, he ruled out any possibility of infiltration across the border. He also said that the forensic team has collected samples from the site.
Block Development Committee (BDC) chairman Ram Lal Kaliya, a resident of Saniyal village which is just 300 metres from the border post, said, "Around 9.30 pm on Wednesday we heard an explosion. I informed the post in-charge."
The blast site was located after one-and-half hours, he said, adding that a big crater was found in an agriculture field.
(With ANI/PTI inputs)