Heightened Vigilance as Drone Activity Spotted in J&K Border Areas

Post by : Mina Rahman

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir reported unusual drone movements along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in the Samba, Rajouri, and Poonch districts on Sunday evening. These drones briefly crossed into Indian airspace from Pakistan before retreating.

In the Nowshera sector of Rajouri, troops responded promptly to a drone sighting over Gania-Kalsian village at approximately 6:35 pm, firing medium and light machine guns to ward off the drone. Soon after, another drone, which had blinking lights, was observed over Khabbar village in Teryath, moving towards Bharakh from Dharmsal in Kalakote, leading to increased vigilance in the area.

In Samba's Ramgarh sector, a drone was spotted hovering over Chak Babral village around 7:15 pm. Simultaneously, another drone was detected moving from Tain to Topa in the Mankote sector of Poonch at about 6:25 pm. Security forces promptly initiated ground search operations to identify and neutralize any potential threats.

This incident follows the recovery of an arms shipment allegedly delivered by a Pakistan-origin drone in Paloora village near the IB in Samba just days earlier, which included two pistols, three magazines, 16 rounds of ammunition, and a grenade. Officials have asserted these occurrences highlight ongoing attempts at cross-border infiltration via drones.

Local residents in border areas have been advised to stay alert and report any suspicious aerial movements. Troops are maintaining heightened preparedness across all forward sectors, closely monitoring drone activities while conducting counter-surveillance to avert any security risks.