Exclusive | Meteorite Myth Busted? RDX Traces Found at Site of April 24 Blast Near PM's Jammu Rally Venue

Traces of RDX have been found in soil samples collected from the site of a mysterious explosion on April 24 just hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to address a rally nearby in Jammu and Kashmir?s Samba.

The explosion, which took place in an agriculture field on the outskirts of Jammu, was earlier speculated by the local police to have been caused by a meteorite or lightning strike.

However, top officials in the Jammu and Kashmir Police have now revealed to News18 that preliminary forensic analysis has established the presence of traces of RDX and nitrate compound in soil samples collected from the blast site in Lalian village in Bishnan belt.

?Some traces of RDX have been found. It appears the payload was dropped by a drone,? a top official in J&K Police told News18.

A second officer privy to the investigation said: ?No splinters have been found. But the presence of RDX and nitrates, and the dimensions of the crater that was created as a result of the explosion give you some insight into the quantity of explosive and the IED.?

The explosion had rocked Laliana village at 4am on April 24, with locals complaining of whirring sounds minutes before the impact shattered glass panes of houses nearby.

The village is located 12km from Palli, where PM Modi later addressed a crowd of more than 1 lakh people in his first visit to J&K following the removal of special status and the state’s bifurcation into two Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Asked if the Prime Minister’s rally venue was the original target, officials said forcing a cancellation of the event could have been the motive. ?If you plot an aerial line, Laliana is not very far from Palli. Any IED getting dropped close to the tent or parking would have led to panic,? an official said.

Police investigation is currently focusing on the possibility of a drone carrying the IED from across the border like in the Jammu airbase blast case.

The Border Security Force (BSF), however, has not confirmed any breach or sighting at the international border. ?At this stage, all this is speculation. The investigation is on. We are also using technology to check the borders. But as of now, nothing concrete has come up,? BSF I-G DK Boora told News18.

Officials added that it is difficult to spot a drone, which makes this particular modus operandi a bigger challenge. ?When the drone flies over 1000 metres, it is difficult to spot. At that height, no sound is audible. Now the drone operators are switching off the blinking lights as well. So you can spot a drone only when it comes down to drop the payload,? a security grid officer explained.

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