Jammu, Jan 5 : An old shell was recovered by security forces in J&Kâ??s Poonch district on Monday and disposed of safely later, officials said.

Officials said that the old shell was recovered from the Mendhar area of Poonch.

"The shell was noticed by residents in the Upper Ghani area of the Mankote sector at around 11:15 am, after which information was passed to the Police Post Balnoi. Police personnel reached the spot and informed the army for further action. An army team later inspected the shell and disposed of it safely by following standard safety procedures," an official said.

'No damage or injury was reported during the operation, the official said, adding that the situation was handled smoothly and there was no cause for concern.

Multiple unexploded shells have been found in civilian areas of Rajouri and Poonch districts after the unprovoked Pakistan shelling along the line of control (LoC) in these two districts after Operation Sindoor.

Poonch district accounted for the highest 20 of the total 27 fatalities, with over 50 others injured since May last year, shortly after India carried out Operation Sindoor, striking nine terror infrastructures in Pakistan and PoJK to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam attack that left 26 people dead. The heavy bombardment of civilian areas followed Indian Army strikes on nine terror facilities located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

Officials engaged in the post-shelling operations have indicated that evidence on the ground contradicts claims that only military targets were attacked by Pakistan.

Army personnel deployed on the clearance of unexploded shells said that the Pakistani shells had fallen right in the middle of villages, with the entire surrounding area inhabited by civilians.

In May 2024, the army and the Jammu and Kashmir Police safely destroyed 42 unexploded artillery shells fired by Pakistani forces during cross-border shelling in the border district of Poonch.

/IANS