Srinagar, Jan 31: Security forces on Saturday launched a search operation along the International Border (IB) in Samba district after a suspected Pakistani drone was spotted hovering briefly over Indian territory, officials said.
According to officials, the drone was seen near Chillyari village along the IB, where it hovered for a few minutes before returning towards Pakistan. The brief intrusion triggered an immediate alert, prompting police and other security agencies to launch a coordinated search operation in the area.
Security personnel conducted extensive ground searches in Chillyari village and surrounding locations to rule out the possibility of any airdropped consignments.
Officials said the operation focused on detecting potential drops of weapons, explosives, or narcotics, which have been used in the past for cross-border smuggling and terrorist activities.
Multiple teams scanned agricultural fields, residential areas, and other vulnerable spots along the IB as part of precautionary measures. No suspicious material had been recovered till the filing of this report, officials added.
The incident comes a day after a similar drone sighting was reported in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district. On Friday, a suspected Pakistani drone briefly hovered over Indian territory near Ratanpur village before returning across the border, officials said.
Authorities have heightened vigilance along the International Border in the wake of repeated drone sightings in recent days. Security forces remain on high alert and have intensified surveillance to prevent any potential cross-border infiltration or smuggling attempts, officials said.
Earlier on Friday, security forces thwarted a major drone intrusion attempt along the Line of Control (LoC) in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district by shooting down eight out of 15 Pakistani drones spotted in the Keran sector. The remaining drones retreated across the border, officials said.
Defence Sources told Rising Kashmir that troops of the Indian Army’s 6 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) immediately opened fire after detecting the drones hovering near the LoC. In the swift retaliatory action, eight drones were successfully shot down, while the remaining drones fled back across the border.
