Suspected Pakistani drones spotted over J&K border areas; search operations launched

Security forces detected movement of suspected Pakistani drones across multiple locations along the International Border (IB) and Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday evening, prompting immediate search operations and heightened alertness, officials told news agency PTI.

According to officials, the flying objects were observed entering Indian airspace from the Pakistan side, hovering for a few minutes over border villages, and then retreating back across the border. The sightings were reported from Samba, Rajouri and Poonch districts, raising fresh concerns over cross-border surveillance and potential infiltration attempts.

In one of the first incidents, Army personnel in the Nowshera sector along the LoC in Rajouri district opened fire with machine guns after spotting suspected drone movement over the Gania-Kalsian village area at around 6.35 pm. Officials said the firing was precautionary, aimed at deterring any possible hostile activity.

Around the same time, another drone-like object with a blinking light was seen over Khabbar village in the Teryath area of Rajouri district. The object reportedly entered from the direction of Dharmsal village in Kalakote and later moved towards Bharakh, officials added.

A separate incident was reported from the Ramgarh sector of Samba district, where a drone-like object hovered for several minutes over Chak Babral village at around 7.15 pm. Earlier in the evening, yet another suspected drone was seen moving from the direction of Tain towards Topa in the Mankote sector along the LoC in Poonch district at approximately 6.25 pm.

Following the sightings, security forces launched extensive ground search operations in the affected areas to rule out the possibility of arms drops or infiltration. The overall security vigil along the LoC and IB has been intensified, with additional surveillance measures put in place.

The incidents come just days after security forces recovered an arms consignment allegedly dropped by a Pakistan-origin drone in Paloora village of Ghagwal near the international border in Samba district on Friday night. The seized items included two pistols, three magazines, 16 rounds of ammunition and a grenade.

Officials said investigations are ongoing to ascertain the purpose of the latest drone movements and to strengthen counter-drone measures along the sensitive border regions.