Army sniffer dog, soldier detect explosives on Srinagar-Baramulla highway, save ‘dozens of lives’

Once Kanak confirmed the IED, bomb disposal squad destroyed it through a controlled blast. Other than labradors like Kanak, Army’s canine unit also has Indian breeds like Mudhol Hound.

Army sniffer dog Kanak detects explosives on Srinagar-Baramulla highway | Twitter/@ANI

New Delhi: An alert soldier along with the army’s sniffer dog Kanak – a Labrador serving with the 29 Rashtriya Rifles – detected an improvised explosive device (IED) on a highway near Pattan in North Kashmir’s Baramulla on Wednesday morning, potentially saving dozens of lives on the busy route, Army sources told ThePrint.

The IED was first detected on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway by a soldier, who was part of the road opening party (ROP) that patrols the highway ahead of military convoys.

Traffic was suspended following the discovery, and Kanak was called in to help locate the device.

Once Kanak confirmed the IED, the bomb disposal squad was brought in to destroy it through a controlled blast. Traffic was soon restored, sources in the security establishment told ThePrint.

“A case has been registered and investigation started,” a police official said. This is the second time an IED has been detected on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway this year, the first being on 11 June.

Sniffer dogs routinely accompany ROPs and are trained to recognise certain smells, prompting them to bark and alert handlers about the presence of explosives.

The Army also uses Indian breeds like the Mudhol hound in its canine units. This year, over 130 sniffer dogs were deployed to ensure a safe Amarnath Yatra.