By IANS
New Delhi : Security personnel averted a major tragedy Thursday by detecting 20 kg of explosives planted near Srinagar on the route of the weekly peace bus service linking the city with Muzaffarabad.
The explosives were detected barely half an hour before the bus, carrying 22 Pakistani citizens including seven women and four children, was to pass the spot.
The bus service connects Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and Muzaffarabad in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
A statement by the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Inspector General (Operations) A.P. Maheshwari said here that the improvised explosive device (IED) was detected nine kilometres from Srinagar on National Highway 1A at 6.15 a.m.
Maheshwari said the explosives were detected by the dog squad of the paramilitary force, deployed in the Valley on internal security duty.
He said it was for the third time this year that terrorists had planted explosives on the same route, but each time the force was able to detect them.
The CRPF announced a cash award of Rs.10,000 for the personnel involved in detection of the powerful explosives.