Thursday, April 7 2005 11:26 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Srinagar: Hours before the historic launch of Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus service by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Border Security Force (BSF) troops today (Apr 7, 2005) foiled militants' plan to detonate a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) on the bus route.

A BSF patrol party noticed a powerful IED connected with a remote at Tapper Payeen near Pattan, 27 kms from Srinagar on Srinagar-Muzaffarabad bus route at around 09:00 hrs (IST) today, a BSF spokesman said.

The IED, weighing three and a half kgs, was detected by the troops of 55th battalion of the BSF and was later defused by the bomb disposal squad, he said.

This was the third IED recovered by BSF troops on the highway within three days.

Elsewhere in the valley, militants detonated an IED near a petrol pump, in Sopore, 55 kms from Srinagar in north Kashmir's Baramulla district this morning, official sources said.

The IED, believed to be planted by militants inside a tin box, was detonated around 09.10 hrs (IST) today but no one was hurt in the explosion, which rocked the entire area, the sources said.

Security forces gunned down a suspected Pakistani militant near Shalteng on the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad road in an encounter early this morning, official sources said.

The encounter broke out when the troops of Rashtriya Rifles confronted ultras moving under the cover of darkness at T-chowk at Shalteng on the outskirts of the city around 04:30 hrs (IST), the sources said.

The ultras opened fire and in the ensuing gun battle an unidentified militant was killed, they said adding an AK assault rifle, an IED, three grenades and some ammunition were recovered from the possession of the slain militant.

Sources said documents recovered from the militant revealed that the deceased was affiliated with al-Bader group and was apparently heading to plant the IED on the road.