Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were on high alert on Sunday evening following a series of suspected drone incursions from Pakistan across sensitive frontier areas. Officials reported multiple sightings of unmanned aerial objects in the districts of Samba, Rajouri, and Poonch along both the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC).
Widespread Drone Activity Across Border Districts
According to official statements, all the flying objects originated from the Pakistani side. They entered Indian airspace, hovered for several minutes, and then returned. The first incident was reported around 6:25 pm in the Mankote sector of Poonch district, where a drone-like object was seen moving from the direction of Tain towards Topa.
Shortly after, at approximately 6:35 pm in Rajouri district, troops guarding the Nowshera sector along the LoC responded to drone movement over GaniaKalsian village by opening fire with medium and light machine guns. Almost simultaneously, another drone with a blinking light was noticed at Khabbar village in Teryath, Rajouri. This object came from Dharmsal village in Kalakote and moved towards Bharakh.
The activity continued in Samba district, where a similar object with a blinking light was observed hovering for several minutes over Chak Babral village in the Ramgarh sector around 7:15 pm.
Search Operations and Recovery of Arms Cache
In response to the flurry of drone sightings, security forces immediately launched extensive ground search operations in the affected forward areas. This vigilance comes on the heels of a significant recovery made just two nights prior.
On Friday night, an arms consignment allegedly airdropped by a Pakistan-origin drone was recovered from Paloora village in Ghagwal, Samba district, near the IB. The seized cache included two pistols, three magazines, sixteen rounds of ammunition, and a grenade.
Satellite Communication Triggers Major Cordon and Search
In a related but separate development on Sunday, intelligence agencies detected satellite communication from suspected terrorists near the International Border in the Rajpura area of Jammu's Kanachak sector. The communication was traced to a Thuraya satellite device around 3 pm, and its GPS location was successfully tracked.
Following this critical intelligence input, a massive joint search operation was initiated. A team comprising the Army, the Jammu and Kashmir Police's Special Operations Group (SOG), the Border Security Force (BSF), and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) swiftly cordoned off the identified area. While nothing suspicious had been found as per the latest reports, intensive combing operations were still underway.
Heightened Alert and Community Vigilance
The consecutive security incidents have prompted authorities to reinforce vigilance mechanisms along the border. In Poonch, the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) chaired a meeting with members of the Village Defence Group (VDG) from the border village of Jhullas on Sunday.
The officials directed the VDG volunteers to remain alert and committed to protecting their villages while strictly adhering to the established Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). This underscores the continued reliance on a collaborative approach involving local communities to safeguard the border regions against emerging asymmetric threats like drone-dropped weapons and clandestine communications.
