Jammu, August 4: Security forces have initiated a significant search operation in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir following reports of suspicious activities by two separate groups of militants.
Officials reported that the operation commenced in the remote Surankote area of the district after intelligence indicated militant movements at two locations.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police’s Special Operations Group, along with soldiers from the National Rifles, began a cordon and search operation in the areas of Dhara Sangla, Gurjar Nar, and Kherowali Dhok, as well as nearby forested villages.
The operation is ongoing in the densely forested region. So far, there has been no contact or gunfire with the suspected militants. Authorities stated, “A systematic operation is underway to locate the terrorists.”
In another incident, an old, rusty mortar shell was discovered in the courtyard of a house near the international border in the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district on Tuesday morning.
Officials explained that the unexploded shell was found when workers digging at Subhash Chandra’s home in Kattal-Brahmana village noticed the suspicious object and promptly alerted the authorities.
A police team, accompanied by a bomb disposal squad, arrived at the scene and secured the area.
Unexploded mortar shells, often referred to as ‘unexploded ordnance,’ are frequently found in the border areas of the Union Territory due to various historical and strategic reasons.
Border villages near the Line of Control and the international border have witnessed military confrontations and ceasefire violations for decades. Thousands of mortar shells are fired during heavy artillery bombardments.
Many of these shells fail to detonate upon impact due to mechanical failure, soft ground, or fuse malfunction. In regions like Poonch, Kupwara, and Rajouri, the terrain is often hilly, wild, and marshy. When a mortar shell lands in mud, dense vegetation, or soft agricultural soil, the impact is lessened, often preventing the fuse from activating and resulting in no explosion. Over time, these active shells can become buried under silt or shrubs.
Mortar shells that remain hidden underground for months or decades often resurface due to environmental changes or human activities.
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