Jammu, Sept 6, KNT: Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district went on high alert after a suspected Pakistani drone was sighted hovering over vital installations late Friday night, officials said on Saturday.
The drone was observed around 9:35 pm at an altitude of over 700 metres, moving from west to east over a military garrison in the Bari Brahmana area, they said.
An immediate alert was sounded and quick reaction teams of the Army were activated. Police were also informed, following which a joint search operation was launched in the area to rule out the possibility of any airdropping of weapons or narcotics.
Officials said searches were continuing on Saturday and security agencies remained on heightened alert in view of the incident.
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In recent years, security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir have intercepted multiple Pakistani drones carrying arms, ammunition and contraband across the border, making such sightings a cause for serious concern.
In recent years, Jammu division has witnessed a series of drone-related incidents that have raised serious security concerns, with drones increasingly being used for cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics.
The first major incident as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust occurred in June 2021, when two drones dropped explosives at the Indian Air Force station in Jammu, injuring two personnel.
In July 2022, security forces intercepted a drone in Kathua district and recovered arms and ammunition airdropped from across the border.
By March 2023, the threat had diversified, with police in Samba recovering a consignment of narcotics suspected to have been delivered by a drone near the international border.
In October 2023, the Border Security Force (BSF) shot down a Pakistani drone in the Arnia sector, seizing rifles and grenades that were attached to it.
In February 2024, a drone was sighted over military installations in Akhnoor, prompting a search operation, though no payload was found.
The most recent case came on September 5, 2025, when a drone was spotted hovering at an altitude of 700 metres over a military garrison in the Bari Brahmana area of Samba district. An alert was sounded immediately, and quick reaction teams of the Army, along with police, launched a joint search operation to ensure there was no airdropping of weapons or narcotics.
Officials said the incidents underlines the continuing threat drones pose in the Jammu region, particularly along border districts. Security agencies remain on heightened alert as drones emerge as a new dimension in cross-border militancy and smuggling. [KNT]
