<span style="color: #222222;">In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,  security forces  averted a major catastrophe by destroying an improvised explosive device (IED), planted by terrorists on the roadside along Bandipora-Srinagar highway near Gamroo-Lawdara crossing in north Kashmir's Bandipora district this morning.</span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;"> </span><br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Officials said that a Road Opening Party (ROP) and Explosive Detective Dog  detected the IED lying by the roadside near Gamroo-Lawdara crossing following which bomb disposal squad was called in.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">He said the Device was planted inside a "Gas Cylinder" on the roadside and was later defused. It  took the bomb disposal squad about six hours to defuse the IED.</span><br />'' <br />'' <span style="color: #222222;">Following the detection of the IED, traffic on Bandipora-Srinagar highway was halted from both the sides as a precautionary measure. Subsequently, the traffic was diverted to other routes and the whole area was sealed.</span><br />''