A man in his 30s is facing drug- and weapon-related charges after a Tuesday incident in Mill Woods that saw the city police bomb unit deploy "counter charges" to disable an improvised explosive device.

Officers discovered the explosive device Tuesday afternoon while executing a search warrant on a home in the area of 20th Avenue and 46th Street.

"EPS Explosive Disposal Unit attended the scene and used counter charges on the device to render it safe following an evacuation of the surrounding area," police said in a news release Wednesday.

Witnesses reported hearing two loud bangs just after 9 p.m. Residents were allowed back into their homes soon afterward and the event concluded by 10 p.m.

Police said drugs and "multiple firearms" were seized during the search.

The investigation is concluding and an inventory of seized items is being compiled, police said. More information will be available later this week or early next week.

At the scene on Tuesday evening, Insp. Gary Godziuk said the improvised explosive device was "industrial explosives being used for a criminal purpose.

"When people deal with explosives, they reduce the integrity of that industrial explosive, so we don't trust it."

Godziuk called it a "rare event" in Edmonton and praised the deliberate response from a team of personnel for resolving the situation "in a safe and reliable manner."

He said the case had no links to international or domestic terrorism.