A police officer told GNS that some locals of Shoglipora area near Tosa Maidan in Budgam spotted an explosive device and immediately informed the concerned police station. “A police team along with the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) reached the site and destroyed the shell without causing any damage”.

The incident comes days after, a youth was killed and two others suffered injuries after a shell went off in the meadow, which was used by the army as the firing range for many years before vacating following the public uproar in 2014 when the lease granted to it expired and was not renewed thereafter.

Deputy Commissioner Budgam, Sehrish Asgar had announced, after the youth’s death that a fresh cleaning drive would be undertaken to clear the area of unexploded shells if any in the area.

Meanwhile, the officer said that a live grenade was found at Gulshanabad area of Mehjoornagar, Srinagar today by some locals. “A concerned police team along with the BDS reached the spot and defused the device later without causing any damage”. (GNS)