J&K: Two Rusted Mortar Shells Recovered, Safely Destroyed In Poonch

Mendhar/Jammu, Aug 3: Two rusted unexploded mortar shells were recovered from separate forward villages in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Monday and safely destroyed by the Army’s Bomb Disposal Squad, officials said.

The first shell was spotted by villagers in an open field near Chajjla bridge in the Mankote area. The villagers immediately alerted the police and security forces, who reached the spot, secured the area and called in the Army’s Bomb Disposal Squad.

The experts examined the unexploded mortar shell and destroyed it in a controlled explosion while following standard safety procedures, officials said.

In a separate incident, another unexploded mortar shell was found in agricultural fields in Adhaki village near Mendhar Nallah. The bomb disposal experts subsequently neutralised and destroyed the explosive safely.

Officials said the recovery of the unexploded ordnance is believed to be linked to remnants of past cross-border shelling along the Line of Control (LoC).

The timely detection and disposal of the shells prevented any possible threat to civilians in the forward areas.