Watch: Mangaluru airport bomb defused in controlled explosion; pictures of suspect released

An unattended bag containing a suspicious IED-like object was recovered at the Mangaluru airport on Monday triggering alarm ahead of the Republic Day, officials said. They said a bag was found near a ticket counter at the departure terminal of the facility at about 8:45 AM after which Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and police personnel cordoned off the area.

CISF DIG (operations) Anil Pandey told PTI in Delhi that, the object resembled "a low intensity improvised explosive device (IED) with some silver-colored explosive." "However, the IED was not charged or to say had a trigger mechanism," Pandey added.

Another senior CISF official added that the explosive could be cracker powder. The bag was later removed from the airport and the IED was defused by local police by a controlled explosion.

#WATCH The Improvised explosive device (IED) recovered from a bag at Mangaluru airport earlier today, defused in an open field. #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/46fho4SbFY

— ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2020

Passenger services at the airport were unaffected.

Earlier, Mangaluru Police Commissioner P S Harsha also rushed to the airport along with a police team. "The CISF had found a suspicious bag, handled it as per the safety protocols and quickly informed the police control room. We have placed the bag in the isolation bay as per the safety protocol," Harsha later said in a video message.

According to some reports, two persons had come in an autorickshaw and placed the bag there. Police said they are verifying the CCTV footage.

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

(With inputs from agencies.)