army-fires-at-suspected-pak-drones-along-loc-in-j-k

Army troops fired several rounds to intercept a Pakistani drone along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, on Monday night, officials said.

 

The drone briefly hovered over Indian territory before returning to Pakistan. Indian troops, vigilant along the LoC, detected the drone flying at an altitude of over 1,000 metres around 9:15 PM and fired several rounds within ten minutes to bring it down. Despite this, the drone managed to return to Pakistan, they said.

 

Approximately half an hour later, another drone was spotted entering Indian airspace, prompting the troops to fire more rounds, after which the drone retreated to the Pakistani side.

 

At first light, Army troops conducted a search operation in the forward villages to ensure no weapons or narcotics were dropped by the drones, they added.

 

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have offered a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh for information leading to the recovery of weapons and narcotics dropped by drones from across the border.

 

The Krishna Ghati incident is part of a troubling pattern of drone incursions in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

In recent months, there have been multiple instances where drones have been used to smuggle weapons, explosives, and narcotics into Indian territory.

 

January 2024, Security forces intercepted a drone in the Samba sector, recovering a cache of weapons and ammunition intended for militant groups.

In March 2024, a drone was shot down in the Kathua district, carrying a significant payload of narcotics and arms.

 

In May 2024, another drone was intercepted in the Rajouri sector, suspected of delivering supplies to militants operating in the region.