JAMMU: A bomb disposal squad was deployed to secure and defuse three live mortar shells found Wednesday near the regional transport officer’s office in Jammu’s Transport Nagar area.Officials have not confirmed whether the ordnance originated from Pakistani forces during cross-border shelling triggered by India’s Operation Sindoor that targeted and destroyed terrorist infrastructure in Pakistan early this May. Pakistani fire has included mortars and artillery, with several unexploded shells reported near civilian zones near the border.“A local spotted one shell and alerted police,” said an officer. “Two more were discovered upon inspection.” Police cordoned off the area and summoned bomb experts. “Preliminary assessment suggests these are old mortar shells, possibly dumped here, but still capable of causing serious damage,” the officer said.On May 16, security forces defused a mortar shell spotted by villagers in Bishnah, believed to have been fired from across the border during Operation Sindoor.Police found a suspected IED during a patrol in Gharota area on Jammu’s outskirts on October 5, 2024. Bomb experts defused the device. Earlier, on July 15, 2024, two rusted mortar shells were found — one near the high court complex and another along Udhampur railway line — both safely defused. In 2022, bomb experts defused two IEDs near a police post in Satwari on Nov 15 and another on Sidhra-Kunjwani bypass on April 29.
