The border district of Ferozepur was gripped by tension on Monday after a live, vintage military bombshell was unearthed during routine excavation work in an agricultural field. The incident took place in Jhugge Hazara Singh Wala village, which sits directly adjacent to the Hussainiwala sector along the India-Pakistan international border. The discovery of the heavy explosive shell sent shockwaves through the local farming community, prompting a rapid response from national security agencies.
The explosive was spotted deep within the soil when a JCB machine and farm labourers were clearing and digging the field for developmental work. Upon seeing the metallic, rocket-like object, the labourers immediately halted their work and informed the landowner, who without delay contacted the Ferozepur police and military authorities.
Quick Response by Army Bomb Disposal Squad
Recognizing the gravity of the situation given the village’s strategic proximity to the international border, the Indian Army’s specialized Bomb Disposal Squad was immediately dispatched to the location alongside senior Punjab Police officers. Armed with tactical safety gear, the army personnel quickly cordoned off the entire agricultural patch and restricted the movement of nearby villagers.
The team carried out a meticulous security sweep of the surrounding area to ensure no other explosive objects were buried nearby. Utilizing safety blankets and specialized containment equipment, the military experts safely extracted the rusted yet live shell from the loose soil, neutralizing any immediate threat of an accidental blast.
Police Administration Urges Calm
Addressing the media and local residents, Dharamveer Singh, Superintendent of Police (Headquarters), Ferozepur, assured the public that there was absolutely no reason to panic. He stated that the recovered object appeared to be a vintage artillery shell that had remained buried deep in the ground for several decades, likely dating back to the historic Indo-Pak wars.
“Our security forces and the Army’s specialized bomb disposal wing handled the entire operation with high professionalism,” SP Dharamveer Singh said. “While finding such vintage military ordnance in border sectors is not uncommon due to historical military movements, we treat every single recovery with absolute seriousness. The shell has been safely secured and transported to a secure location where it will undergo proper technical analysis and controlled disposal.”
Historical Context of Border Finds
Ferozepur and its adjoining sectors, including Hussainiwala, have historically been active combat zones during the wars of 1965 and 1971. Over the years, deep agricultural plowing and modern infrastructure excavation work have occasionally brought buried military hardware, unexploded artillery shells, and vintage ammunition back to the surface.
Local administrative officials have once again requested border villagers to remain vigilant and immediately report any suspicious metallic or cylindrical objects to the authorities rather than attempting to handle, move, or examine them on their own.
