Day after pause, Pakistan missile warhead safely detonated in Rajasthan village

JAISALMER: A bomb disposal squad of the Indian Army safely detonated a powerful Pakistani missile warhead found in Badoda village of Rajasthan's Jaisalmer district on Sunday, capping a pause in hostilities that had kept the border area on the edge for over three days.

The warhead, containing live ammunition, was discovered in a farmer's field after India's air defence system intercepted and shot down a Pakistani missile Saturday night, causing its debris to land in Badoda. The operation to detonate the unexploded warhead was conducted after cordoning off a large area to ensure there was no damage. A deep pit was excavated before the disposal team safely destroyed the warhead.

The explosion was so loud that vibrations were felt some distance away as clouds of smoke and dust filled the sky, locals said.

Officials said that had the warhead exploded on landing, it would have potentially caused a large number of casualties and extensive damage to property. SP Sudhir Chaudhary and officials from Jaisalmer Civil Defence oversaw the detonation with members of the Army brass.

Chaudhary had issued a public advisory not to handle any discovered ordnance and to immediately report to the nearest police station if villagers found munition or any explosive. The SP also barred civilians from sharing images of ammunition on social media platforms.

Meanwhile, an old hand grenade and some rusty cartridges were found in Pohda village of Jaisalmer.

Police station in-charge Bagdu Ram said these appeared to be remnants from previous military exercises.