Security forces along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir have been put on high alert after fresh aerial activity originating from across the border was detected in the Poonch district.According to inputs from Army sources cited by news agency ANI, an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) from Pakistan was detected at around 8:05 pm on Friday.The drone was spotted hovering over the general area of Behrooti village in the Balakote area of Poonch’s Mendhar sector, which falls under the operational area of responsibility of the 22 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (22 JAK RIF).
Drone tracked towards Mangalnar-Dabrote axis
Military personnel tracked the UAV as it manoeuvred towards the Mangalnar-Dabrote side near the border before returning to Pakistan.Alert troops immediately logged the intrusion, following which the entire forward sector was placed under tight aerial and ground surveillance.Security forces launched the search operation at first light on Saturday in adjoining forward areas to check for any possible dropping of contraband or arms.Monitoring along the border remains active, and further official updates are awaited.
Similar drone sightings reported along border
The latest incident comes amid heightened security concerns along the India-Pakistan border and follows other suspected drone sightings reported in Jammu and Kashmir in recent weeks.Earlier this month, security forces launched a search operation after a suspected Pakistani drone was spotted over forward villages along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district.The BSF and Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted searches to ensure that no weapons, explosives or other material had been dropped.A suspected Pakistani drone was also spotted in Rajouri’s Sunderbani sector last month, after which security forces carried out a search operation but found nothing suspicious.Earlier in June, Army personnel opened fire after spotting a Pakistani drone over forward posts in the Balakote sector of Poonch, forcing it to retreat towards Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.Notably, the latest incident also comes days after an unusual increase in Turkish military transport flights to Pakistan raised concerns in Indian defence circles.Open-source flight trackers recorded a surge in Turkish C-130 Hercules and A400M aircraft flights between August 19 and 21, with the planes landing at Pakistani air bases, including Nur Khan, Masroor and Murid.There was speculation in defence circles that the flights may have carried military hardware, including unmanned aerial systems and air-defence equipment, although neither Pakistan nor Turkey officially confirmed the nature or cargo of the operations.
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Separately, security forces are carrying out massive search operations in the forested districts of Udhampur, Kathua and Rajouri following information about suspicious movement, according to news agency PTI.In Rajouri, another search operation was launched in Gaibas, Mithiyani, Mogla and Narla after villagers reported the movement of two suspected armed persons, believed to be terrorists.No contact with any suspected persons had been established so far, officials said.The latest incident in Poonch comes as security forces continue to maintain heightened surveillance along forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
