Army Defuses Decades-Old Unexploded Mortar Shell Found in Poonch Village Field

Jammu, July 9: Army personnel on Thursday safely defused an old unexploded mortar shell recovered from an agricultural field in Kussalian village of Poonch district, officials said. The shell was noticed by villagers while they were harvesting maize. After spotting the suspected explosive, residents immediately informed the nearby Army unit without attempting to move or touch it. Police and Army teams rushed to the location, cordoned off the area and carried out a controlled operation through a bomb disposal squad to safely neutralise the mortar shell. No casualties or damage to property were reported in the incident. Officials said the unexploded shell is suspected to be a remnant of earlier cross-border shelling in the forward area of Poonch district.