WATCH: IED recovered from Mangalore airport detonated in open field

The improvised explosive device (IED) recovered from a laptop bag in the Mangalore International Airport was detonated in an open field on Monday evening.

According to police, the bomb was found in an unclaimed laptop bag that had been left near the ticketing counters and was taken in a bomb disposal unit vehicle for a controlled explosion at an open place in Kenjaru ground.

The bomb was disposed of after keeping the laptop bag in sandbags and then performing a controlled explosion.

A top Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) official said the device resembled a low intensity improvised explosive device (IED).

"According to the preliminary reports, a live bomb was found at the Mangaluru Airport today. Steps have been taken to neutralise it and carry out further inquiry to identify people behind it," Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai had said earlier.

As soon as the CISF personnel, who are tasked with maintaining the security of the airport, noticed the unattended bag, they cordoned off the area and reported the matter to the police.

Mangaluru Police Commissioner P. S. Harsha rushed to the airport along with a police team and bomb detection and disposal squad. "We have placed the bag in the isolation bay as per the safety protocol," Harsha said at the time.

CCTV images released by the police later showed a middle-aged man as the prime suspect, who came to and left the airport in an autorickshaw. According to the photos, he tried to conceal his identity using a cap. 

Bommai said an alert has been sounded in all the airports in the state, including Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubli and Belagavi.

"We will intensify the probe and will identify the anti-national forces who want to terrorise people and create panic. We are taking these activities very strongly, which is aimed to push back India economically," the home minister said.

According to Bommai, there is an attempt to carry out largescale terror activities for the past seven to eight years in the country, particularly around January 26 and Mangaluru has been the target of these anti-national forces.

"We have identified that Mangaluru is the area of operations (of terrorists). Also, there are such activities noticed in Bengaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad and their surrounding places, for which we have intensified our investigation", the Minister added.

CISF DIG (operations) Anil Pandey told PTI in Delhi that, the object found in the bag resembled "a low intensity improvised explosive device (IED) with some silver coloured explosive."

"However, the IED was not charged or to say had trigger mechanism," Pandey added.

Meanwhile, Harsha said a case has been registered against the suspect under the provisions of Explosion Substance Act and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act based on a complaint by the CISF at the local police station.

According to the police officer, three committed teams have been formed for the identification, detection and apprehension of the accused persons involved in the case.

"So far the teams have been able to collect preliminary evidence, which is pointing to a person in his middle age, who was wearing a cap and dressed in a formal way," Harsha said.

He appealed to the people of Mangaluru and elsewhere to share any information they have as this is a matter of national security.

Another senior CISF official added that the explosive could be cracker powder.

Passenger services at the airport were unaffected.

Security has been beefed up at all airports in the country in the run-up to the Republic Day celebrations in the country on January 26.