Indian Troops Destroy Live Mortar Found in Kashmiri Border Town

Officials in India say troops have destroyed a live mortar shell that villagers discovered in their Kashmiri border town.

Indian police in the Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir said Monday they coordinated with the army after villagers alerted them to the live mortar.

They said army troops brought in a bomb-disposal squad to set off a controlled explosion to deactivate the device.

Mortars are often fired in the region between troops of neighboring rivals India and Pakistan. If the mortars do not explode on impact they can lie hidden in fields or hills and will pose a danger to passerby, especially children.

Indian-administered Kashmir remains tense and continues to have a heavy military presence three and-a-half months after India's central government abruptly stripped the region of its autonomy, cut off internet service and censored media coverage of the situation.

Pakistan, which also lays claims to Kashmir, protested the move, downgrading its diplomatic ties with India and suspending trade.

New Delhi blames Islamabad for fomenting a violent three-decade separatist insurgency in the Himalayan region.