Daijiworld Media Network - Poonch

Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, Feb 28: Army personnel recovered nine rusted mortar shells in a forward village near the Line of Control in the Mankote area of the Mendhar sector. The unexploded shells, remnants from previous cross-border incidents, were safely destroyed in controlled explosions.

Officials stated that the mortar shells were discovered scattered during an area domination patrol by Army troops. “Following the recovery, the area was immediately cordoned off as a precaution. Bomb disposal squads were deployed to neutralise the explosives,” they said.

The Mendhar police confirmed that the joint Army-Police operation was completed successfully, with no damage to life or property reported, and the situation remains under full control.

Such discoveries are not uncommon along the LoC, where remnants from past cross-border shelling occasionally surface. Standard safety protocols are followed by security forces to ensure the area is secured and civilians are protected.

Poonch was heavily affected during Operation Sindoor, when Pakistan retaliated to Indian strikes on terror infrastructure by targeting civilian and army installations. The shelling resulted in 14 civilian deaths, including a senior officer, and caused damage to religious sites including a mosque, a temple, a church, and a gurdwara, as well as homes and shops.

Following the incidents, the central government assisted in designing a comprehensive rehabilitation plan. Measures included construction of additional bunkers and shelters for civilians, as well as financial aid for families whose houses were destroyed during the shelling.