IED defused on Srinagar road used by Omar

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A major tragedy was averted Tuesday after an improvised explosive device (IED) was detected and defused on the Srinagar-Muzzafarabad highway on which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had passed twice during the day, police said.

A senior police officer told IANS that a security force patrol detected the IED planted along the highway at Shalteng, around 12 km from city centre Lal Chowk. The army said its jamming equipment had prevented the explosion.

Counter-insurgency troops of Rashtriya Rifles defused the IED, averting a major tragedy in the area, the officer said.

"IED was kept in a 7-litre pressure cooker, hidden in a gunny bag used for packing basmati rice and placed under a culvert in Shalteng Chowk," said a press statement and a video clip released by 2 Rashtriya Rifles Bn Tuesday evening.

"Since RCIED (remote-controlled IED) equipment 'ASHI' was placed at Shalteng Chowk by 2 RR (SIKH LI), the IED could not be exploded by the terrorists."

"This averted a major accident as CM also moved through the same area twice," it said, adding the troops neutralised the IED at the spot.