A live mortar shell discovered in a forward village along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district was safely defused by bomb disposal experts on Wednesday, averting potential harm to local residents. Officials reported that villagers in Naka Panjgarian spotted the unexploded ordnance in an open field and immediately alerted nearby police and army units, enabling a swift response.

The shell, believed to be a remnant from cross-border shelling during India's "Operation Sindoor" in May 2025, was neutralised without incident by the bomb disposal squad. No injuries or damage were reported, and authorities commended the villagers for their vigilance in reporting the find promptly. Such discoveries underscore the lingering hazards in border areas prone to intermittent conflict.

Operation Sindoor was launched by India on May 7, 2025, in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which claimed 26 lives, mostly Indian tourists, in a brazen assault by Pakistan-backed militants. The four-day military operation involved precision missile and airstrikes on nine terror camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province, targeting outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba. The strikes killed over 100 militants and escalated tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, culminating in a U.S.-brokered ceasefire on May 10.

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Despite the truce, unexploded ordnance and stray shells continue to pose risks to civilians along the LoC, a heavily militarised 740-kilometre de facto border dividing Kashmir. Security forces have intensified clearance operations and awareness drives in vulnerable villages like Naka Panjgarian, which lies just kilometres from Pakistani positions. This incident highlights the enduring security challenges in the region, where past conflicts leave behind threats that demand ongoing vigilance from both military and community efforts.

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