Synopsis
On January 22, Indian soldiers fired at a Pakistani drone that entered the Indian side of the LoC in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir. Troops detected the drone around 1 a.m., prompting a search to prevent potential airdrops of weapons or narcotics.Key Takeaways
- Indian soldiers engaged a Pakistani drone on Jan 22.
- Drone activity was detected in the Poonch district.
- Search operations were launched to prevent weapon drops.
- Security forces utilize anti-drone systems effectively.
- No trans-border tunnels have been found in recent years.
Jammu, Jan 22 (NationPress) On Wednesday, Indian soldiers engaged a Pakistani drone that had crossed into the Indian territory along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir.
According to defense sources, a drone from the Pakistani side entered the Indian territory in the Mendhar sector of Poonch district.
“After being alerted, Army troops opened fire at the drone, causing it to retreat back into Pakistani airspace,” the sources reported.
The drone's presence was detected by vigilant troops around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. A search operation was initiated at dawn to prevent any potential airdrop of weapons or narcotics by the drone.
In recent times, drones have been utilized by terrorists with the support of the Pakistani Army to deliver arms, drugs, or cash to sustain terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
Terrorists often employ over-ground workers (OGWs), who pose as unarmed civilians, to collect the payloads dropped by the drones for use by terrorist groups.
Security forces, particularly the BSF stationed at the International Border in the union territory, have implemented specialized anti-drone systems to detect drone activity. Once identified, these drones are swiftly neutralized by the stationed troops.
In previous years, trans-border tunnels were frequently used for the infiltration and transportation of arms into Jammu and Kashmir; however, no such tunnels have been discovered along the International Border in the past five years. Officials noted that the LoC is a natural boundary, making the construction of trans-border tunnels challenging.
Jammu and Kashmir features a 740 km LoC and a 226 km International Border with Pakistan. The Indian Army is responsible for guarding the LoC, while the BSF oversees border security in the Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts of the Jammu division.
