Rusted mortar shell, landmine defused in Samba, Poonch

Samba/Mendhar (J&K), Aug 5 (PTI) A rusted mortar shell and a landmine were detected and later defused in controlled explosions at separate places in Samba and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

The powerful mortar shell was noticed by some villagers in Nad village along the Samba-Udhampur road in Samba district this morning, they said.

Police said the whole area was cordoned off and the explosive device was destroyed in a controlled explosion by the Bomb disposal squad without causing any damage.

Officials said the shell, believed to have been washed away in Basantar river from a forward village along the International border, had reached the village during dumping of minor minerals for some construction work.

Separately, the army personnel found a landmine at Sabra Ghali near the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote sector of Poonch district.

The landmine was safely destroyed by army experts without causing any harm, the officials said.