NAROWA L: Three hand grenades were recovered from Malikpur village of Shakargarh tehsil near the international border, and later defused by the Bomb Disposal Squad.

A local spotted children playing with the grenades in the fields. He informed Shakargarh Sadar police that rushed to the spot and drove people back from the spot.

On being informed, the Bomb Disposal Squad rushed to the spot, defused the grenades after efforts of an hour and a half and took them into custody.

Locals said police and security institutions had conducted a search operation in this area six months ago, so some locals may have buried the grenades outside the village under a tree.

The children were playing under the same tree and must have dug them out, they added.

Civil Defence Officer Asim Riaz Wahla said: `The grenades were rusted and their pin was not removed, otherwise the children would have suffered a loss.

He also said the grenades were made in Pakistan and how they appeared in the fields will be determined after an investigation.