SRINAGAR: In a cause of concern for the security agencies, at least four Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by terrorists in the Valley were timely recovered and defused by the forces.
Although timely detection of the explosive devices averted major tragedies, security forces have intensified vigil and patrolling across the Valley to foil attempts to trigger violence.
The latest IED was detected and defused by the army’s Road Opening Party (ROP) at Sunrise Point along the Bandipora-Srinagar highway in north Kashmir on March 19.
The IED was fitted in a pressure cooker alongside the Srinagar-Bandipora road, which is used by security convoys for movement to Gurez Valley along the Line of Control and other frontier areas.
It was the fourth IED to be detected and defused by security personnel in the Valley within a week. Earlier, on March 16, the forces during patrolling detected an IED planted by militants in the forest area of border district of Kupwara near the LoC in north Kashmir.
The bomb disposal squad were rushed to the spot and they neutralised the device, averting any major incident.
A day later, another IED was detected and defused in the Qaimoh area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district. The IED was detected by a security forces patrol team during routine patrol and later experts defused and neutralised the device.
On Tuesday, security personnel during routine patrol detected an IED in the Habdipora area of Shopian in south Kashmir district.
An official said the security apparatus, especially the vigil across the Valley has been beefed up after recovery of IEDs. “Security personnel and ROPs have been instructed to be alert and thoroughly sanitise the area before plying of security convoys,” he said. “Security personnel have also increased patrolling in some sensitive areas in the Valley and along the highway”.
A fierce encounter broke out between a group terrorists and security forces in Hiranagar area in Kathua district on Sunday evening. Sources said a joint team of forces launched a search operation in Sanyal village after receiving intelligence inputs about the infiltration of terrorists from across the border. The forces intercepted the terrorists. The personnel came under heavy fire from the terrorists, leading to a gunfight. A 7-year-old girl sustained injuries in the gunfight.