Malappuram: The Malappuram police on Friday recovered five claymore antipersonnel mines, found abandoned under a bridge in Kuttippuram, some 130 km from Kochi, which sources say could be the handiwork of extremist elements.
The police has sought help of the Army and the National Security Guard to defuse the mines, with markings and numbers on them, and trace their source.
IG (Thrissur range) M R Ajith Kumar, who visited the site, told DC he would not be able to confirm for what purpose the ammunition was left under the bridge. These mines are used in ambush and against armoured vehicles and not used to bring down a building or bridge. The claymore mines unique in that they send pellets at an angle of 30 degrees to the left and right, and causes fatalities within 50 metres. The device is used mainly to immobilise enemy than kill.
The mines left in a worn-out bag were first spotted by a youth on Thursday evening at a secluded area of the dry riverbed.
The bag was found lying around 50 meters away from Kuttippuram Bridge on National Highway 66. “The bag containing mines were in abandoned state. Prima facie it looks like the ones used by the Indian Army but not confirmed. The examination by the NSG would reveal more details,” said V.A Ullas, DySP of Tirur, leading the primary investigation.
The police identified the youth, Arun, a native of Kavupuram near Valancheri, who spotted the device on the dry riverbed of Bharathpuzha. “There were no electronic objects attached to the device and we have scoured the entire area for anything suspicious,” the police said. The police team visited the spot and transferred the mines, once used by the LTTE and recently by PWG, to the AR Camp in Malappuram. Sources said the ammunition, which originated with the US Army, was no more being used extensively by the Indian Army.
A team of National Security Guard (NSG) from the Chennai hub would arrive in Malappuram on Saturday for a detailed examination of mines before defusing them. According to the police sources, it was M18A1 claymore mines inside the recovered bag which can be detonated using remote control or tripped. However, the police has confirmed that the mines were not planted. A police team headed by Malappuram district police chief would investigate the case.
According to Arun, the bag was found on Thursday evening on the sandbed while he was relaxing there. Acting upon suspicion he immediately alerted the Police about the object.
Though Arun claimed that he came there to relax, the secluded sandbed, which is around 300 meters away the riverbank, was not a popular hangout.
According to the police, Arun was alone when he noticed the suspicious object. He accompanied the police team on Friday as they conducted a detailed search in the area. The local residents had no clue about the incident till Friday morning. “The police say that the mines were found on Thursday and nobody in the area knew that. The spot was not a popular place for hangout. There is Nila park and Mini Pampa few meters away from the area and people usually come there to relax,” Musthafa Kuttipuram, a local resident said.
