Pakistan drone drops China-made arms, ammunition in Samba

Police officials say three China-made pistols, six magazines, 48 bullets and four Chinese hand grenades have been recovered from the packet

Police on Monday seized a cache of arms and ammunition, suspected to have been dropped by a Pakistani drone, in Rakh Barutia village of Vijaypur in the border district of Samba.

A cache of China-made arms and explosive materials was recovered from the package suspected to have been airdropped by a drone from across the India-Pakistan border. (PTI)

The consignment was dropped close to under-construction All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Vijaypur. A senior police officer said the information was relayed to them by locals around 7 am.

“We received information about some suspicious material wrapped in a yellow packet in Rakh Barutia. A police team immediately rushed to the spot and seized the packet,” he said, adding, “Three China-made pistols, six magazines, 48 bullets and four Chinese hand grenades have been recovered from the packet.”

The official said a long plastic string was also recovered from the spot that appeared to have been used to winch the payload on the ground. “A bomb disposal squad that also rushed to the spot and the packet was opened with all precautions,” he added.

BSF fires at Pakistani drone

Notably, troops of the Border Security Force (BSF) fired at a Pakistani drone along the international border in Ramgarh sector of Samba district on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

Sharing details, a senior BSF officer, “A blinking light was observed around 12.15 am on the international border in the night in the general area of Ramgarh. Alert troops fired towards the blinking light due to which it was forced to return. The area is being searched thoroughly.”

The incident, third in quick succession, comes close on the heels of a powerful IED blast near a border police post in Sanyal of adjoining Hiranagar sector of Kathua district late on Wednesday. The blast that took place barely 4 km from the zero line in Hiranagar sector, around 9.30pm, was heard in four to five villages along the border.

On Thursday, security forces, during searches, also recovered a live grenade near the police post. Official sources told HT that the possibility of the drone dropping the payload can’t be ruled out.