Guwahati, Feb 27 (IANS): A major tragedy was averted in Assam's Goalpara district Friday as soldiers recovered a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) from the Dudhnai- Mendipather-Guwahati railway tracks.

The IED was planted by suspected militants on the busy railway track at Barigaon near Dudhnai area, about 110 km from Guwahati.

The Dudhnai-Mendipather-Guwahati tracks is the only railway connectivity to Meghalaya and an alternate rail route connecting Guwahati with rest of India.

The IED was recovered with the help of army's explosive detector dog, said a statement issued by the army's public relations officer, Lt. Col. Suneet Newton.

He said the army troops based in Goalpara received an intelligence provided by Eastern Command Intelligence in the morning about militants planting an IED on the railway tracks.

"The troops in association with police and dog squad carried out a detailed search leading to the recovery of the IED," the official added.

"The activation of the IED could have led to massive loss of innocent human lives and damage to public property," the statement said, adding that the IED was hidden under the railway tracks.

This is the second recovery of IED from the district. Last week, the army troops had recovered another powerful IED from Bhalukdubi area in the district.