IED recovered from bus, 2 arrested

Srinagar: Army on Monday detained two people after recovering an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from a passenger bus, while a youth was arrested along with the grenades in North Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Press Bureau of India correspondent from North Kashmir said that Army’s 46 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) intercepted a passenger bus (JK05-8999) near Military Intelligence (MI) room, Kanth Bagh this afternoon. The Army started searches of the bus before asking the passengers to get off. During the searches, Army recovered a plastic can containing an IED that weigh around five kilograms.

The bus driver identified as Bashir Ahmad, son of Abdur Razak Lone, of Wanigam, Pattan and his assistant Khurshid Ahmad Mir, son of Ghulam Nabi Mir, of Behrampora were arrested from the spot. They were later handed over to the police for questioning.

The bus was on its way to Baramulla from Pattan.

Soon after the recovery of IED, Army sealed off the area and informed the bomb disposal squad. The movement of traffic on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad was also restricted for over an hour.

“We’re innocents. Army asked us to take out a plastic can that was hidden beneath a seat. We had no idea it was an IED,” shouted Bashir at the police station.

Station House Officer (SHO) Baramulla, Pralad Sharma said that two people were handed over to police by Army following recovery of an IED from their bus.

“The investigations in this case are going on,” he added.

Meanwhile, Army’s 12 Brigade suspended movement of traffic on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road near Nowshera this morning after sniffer dogs indicated the presence of an explosive device on the vital roadway.  After carrying out searches for over an hour, no explosives were found by Army. The traffic was later resumed on the highway.

Meanwhile, official sources said that a joint team of Army’29 RR and Special Operations Group (SOG) arrested a youth identified as Manzoor Ahmad Shiekh, son of Abdul Aziz Sheikh from Warpora locality of Sopore town. Four hand grenades, they said were recovered from the possession of the youth.