Army defuses live mortar shell found along LoC in Poonch

The army safely disposed of a live mortar shell found along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on Friday. Officials said the shell was detected in the Mankote sector and neutralised through a controlled disposal operation by the army's bomb disposal squad in Dabraj area. No injuries or damage to property were reported.

Unexploded live mortar shells are frequently found by villagers and farmers in forward areas along the LoC, often unearthed during farming or heavy rains from past cross-border shelling. Military bomb disposal squads regularly conduct safe, controlled detonations to neutralise these hazardous old munitions. People have been advised not to touch unexploded shells and to report them to the nearest army camp or police station.

The Assam Tribune adds that landmines are another serious danger for security forces and civilians near the LoC. Forward sectors including Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla (Uri), and Akhnoor contain heavily monitored minefields. Heavy rains and seasonal flooding often displace landmines from their mapped perimeters, and forest fires can detonate exposed mines. Casualties occasionally occur during patrols or bomb disposal operations.