Srinagar, Kashmir  - Police in India-administered Kashmir Thursday defused a large bomb planted on a road in a high-security area in the state capital Srinagar, officials said.

The bomb was placed in a garbage bin near the road to the airport in the Hyderpora area which is used by civilians, senior officials and the military.

"It was a powerful bomb weighing 80 kilograms which was programmed to be detonated by a cellular phone," a local police spokesman said.

"The IED (improvised explosive device) would have caused a major tragedy. Many people would have been killed had it not been deactivated by the Central Reserve Police Force," he added.

State authorities recently announced that the Srinagar airport would be opened to international flights to boost tourism in the state.

Kashmir, a picturesque region, has been hit by protracted violence and bloodshed since a separatist revolt peaked in the late 1980s.

According to government data, more than 40,000 people - civilians, militants and security forces - have been killed in India-administered Kashmir since the 1990s.

India accuses neighbouring Pakistan of aiding and abetting Kashmiri secessionist militants. Pakistan denies the allegations, saying the Kashmiri militants are freedom fighters.

India and Pakistan are engaged in a dialogue to resolve all disputes, including that over Kashmir. The foreign offices of both countries launched the fifth round of peace talks last month. (dpa)