Pressure cooker IED found in Pampore

SRINAGAR: CRPF personnel today detected and defused a

pressure cooker IED

near a railway station in Pampore area of Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The recovery of the IED comes just two days ahead of Republic Day celebrations in Kashmir, where security has been beefed up to thwart any attempts by militants to stage attacks.

A spokesman of the CRPF said that "an IED fitted in a three-litre pressure cooker was detected by alert jawans of the force at Kandizal-Tangpora village near the railway station."

A bomb disposal squad of the CRPF was summoned and the IED was defused without causing any damage.

Security forces have been deployed in strength at strategic locations in the city to prevent militants from moving around.

The law enforcing agencies are carrying out random frisking and searches of vehicles entering the city.

This year the main Republic Day function will be held at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium instead of the regular venue -- Bakshi Stadium, which is closed for renovations.

The area around the cricket stadium was sealed this morning for full dress rehearsal of the Republic Day Parade.

Traffic police has issued an advisory for movement of vehicles between the city centre and south Kashmir and no vehicle will be permitted to move along the Ram Munshi Bagh- TRC stretch of the road during the rehearsal and Republic Day function.