Bid to target Amarnath yatra

JAMMU:  The Army on Friday detected and defused three IEDs planted by militants on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway at Banihal in Doda district, through which the convoy of Amarnath pilgrims was to pass in the morning.

The traffic on the highway was briefly halted after the detection of the three explosive devices weighing 5 kgs at 9.19 a.m. by the army troops during an operation, official sources said.

A batch of 1,578 pilgrims had left Jammu for Phalgam around 5.00 a.m. in a convoy of 54 vehicles.

It is believed that IEDs were targeted at the Amarnath yatra convoy which was heading towards Phalgam and Baltal base camps, they said.

A bomb disposal squad defused IEDs after a two-hour long operation, the sources added.