Suspected Pakistan-Origin Drones Spotted Over J&K Border Areas; Search Operations Launched: Report

Security forces detected suspected drone movements in multiple areas along the International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba, Rajouri and Poonch districts on Sunday evening, officials told news agency PTI.

According to officials, the flying objects originated from the Pakistan side, briefly hovered over Indian territory for a few minutes, and then returned. Following the sightings, security forces launched ground search operations in the affected areas.

In Rajouri district, Army personnel in the Nowshera sector along the LoC fired machine guns after spotting a suspected drone over Gania-Kalsian village at around 6.35 pm. Another drone was reported around the same time at Khabbar village in the Teryath area, where officials said a blinking object entered from the direction of Dharmsal village in Kalakote and moved towards Bharakh.

In Samba district, a drone-like object with a blinking light was seen hovering for several minutes over Chak Babral village in the Ramgarh sector at about 7.15 pm.

In Poonch district, officials said another suspected drone was observed moving from the direction of Tain towards Topa in the Mankote sector along the LoC at around 6.25 pm.

The sightings come 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.