BSF opens fire at suspected Pakistani drone in Jammu’s Arnia

A Pakistani drone was spotted again along the Indo-Pak international border in Arnia area of RS Pura sector in Jammu district, in the wee hours on Saturday, prompting Border Security Forces (BSF) guards to open fire at it

A Pakistani drone was spotted again along the Indo-Pak international border in Arnia area of RS Pura sector in Jammu district, in the wee hours on Saturday, prompting Border Security Forces (BSF) guards to open fire at it.

On February 24, a major terror plot by Pakistan’s ISI was averted by the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Jammu police in the same Arnia area, after they recovered a consignment of arms and ammunition dropped by a drone along the International Border, said officials. (ANI)

“A suspected Pakistani surveillance drone was seen 150 metres inside the Indian territory near BOP Pindi on the International Border (IB) in Arnia,” said officials. On seeing the drone, BSF guards of 98 Battalion fired 29 rounds. Later, it returned to the Pakistani side and a search operation has been launched in the area, said officials.

A BSF official said the humming sound of the suspected drone was heard at about 4.10am by the guards. “BSF troops fired towards the direction of the sound. The area has been cordoned off with help of police and a search is being conducted,” he added.

On February 24, a major terror plot by Pakistan’s ISI was averted by the Special Operations Group (SOG) and Jammu police in the same Arnia area, after they recovered a consignment of arms and ammunition dropped by a drone along the International Border, said officials. Three detonators, three remote-controlled IEDs, three bottles of explosives, a bundle of cordex wire, two-timer IEDs, one pistol, two magazines, six grenades and 70 rounds of ammunition had been recovered.

“On the basis of inputs regarding drone activity and dropping of arms and ammunition by Pak-based terrorist outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and The Resistance Front at the behest of ISI in the Arnia area, a special search operation was launched,” ADGP Mukesh Singh had said.

Also, on June 27 last year, two Pakistani drones had dropped explosives on IAF station in Jammu city that left two personnel injured. Since then, there has been a spike in Pakistani drones intruding into Jammu and Kashmir to drop arms, ammunition, drugs and Hawala money to fuel terrorism.

On January 5, the BSF had lodged a strong protest against the neighbouring country’s bid to push arms and ammo into Indian side at a sector commander level flag meeting between the two sides in Suchetgarh area.

On February 11, J&K administration had asked all drone operators to compulsorily register on digital sky platform of DGCA. The Jammu divisional administration had issued a circular making it obligatory for all the operators to register their drones as per the government’s guidelines in view of the Drone Rules 2021, notified by the ministry of civil aviation.

Security forces bust militant hideout in J-K’s Kishtwar; arms, ammo recovered

Jammu, Mar 4 (PTI) Security forces on Friday busted a militant hideout and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition during a search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, a defence spokesman said.

Two Under Barrel Grenade Launchers, an AK-47 magazine, 48 rounds of INSAS rifle, 10 rounds of AK-47 rifle, 38 rounds of 9 mm ammunition, two rounds of a Chinese pistol, an empty round-belt Pika rifle, a knife and a machete were recovered from a hideout in lower Banjwar area, he said.

The operation was jointly undertaken by the Special Operations Group, 26 Rashtriya Rifles and 52nd battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force.