Indian police averts vehicle-borne IED blast in Jammu and Kashmir
Indian security forces today averted a major car bomb attack by detecting and defusing a vehicle fitted with improvised explosive devices (IED) in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.
"A major incident of a vehicle borne #IED blast is averted by the timely input and action by #Pulwama Police, CRPF and Army," the Kashmir zone police wrote on its Twitter handle.
According to a senior police official, a white coloured private car was signalled to stop by security forces at a check point but the driver sped away on Wednesday night.
"The security forces opened fire. The driver managed to escape, leaving behind the car laden with IED," Inspector General of Police Vijay Kumar said.
"We got intelligence about a possible attack. We were looking for a vehicle with IED since yesterday," he added.
The explosives-laden was later defused by the bomb disposal squad at the site where it was found, Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said, adding taking the vehicle through populated localities to an uninhabited area would have been risky.
The plan to blow up the car had similarities with the massive terror attack masterminded by Jaish-e-Mohammed, Pakistan-based terror group, in Pulwama in February last year when 42 Indian paramilitary personnel were killed as a suicide bomber rammed a car stuffed with explosives into their convoy.
After the terror attack in Pulawama on February 14, last year, India had bombed a camp of Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot deep inside Pakistan which was followed a day later by an air battle between Indian and Pakistani fighter jets.
There has been a sharp spike in terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir in the last two months when 30 Indian security personnel lost their lives. During this period, 38 terrorists have also been shot dead by security forces.
Riyaz Naikoo, one of Kashmir's most wanted terrorists and the commander of terror group Hizbul Mujahideen, was killed during an encounter in Pulwama earlier this month.
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