A major tragedy was averted on Monday when the police detected an explosive-laden scooter near the crowded Uri Baramulla bus stand scuttling militants' plan to set off a massive explosion on the Srinagar-Uri national highway.

According to sources, the scooter that had no number plate, and was packed with 25 kg of the deadly RDX.

When the unclaimed and unidentified scooter became the centre of suspicion of the shopkeepers, they informed security forces. After searching for the owner of the unclaimed scooter for sometime, security forces inspected the scooter and found its petrol tanker sealed with adhesive.

When the owner was not located, security forces immediately cleared the busy area and the bomb disposal squad was called. The squad later blew up the explosive-laden scooter, under controlled conditions.

No one was injured in the explosion which rocked the entire township, smashing windscreens of several residential houses in the vicinity,

However a local watching the defusion from the window of his house suffered minor injuries due to smashing of the glass.

Security forces suspected that the improvised explosive device was placed to target the cavalcade of the president of the Peoples Democratic Party and member of Parliament Mehabooba Mufti who was to return after addressing a public gathering at Baramulla.