Drone sighted near international border in Arnia; alert BSF opens fire

Jammu: A drone was spotted near the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Arnia sector during wee hours of Monday, with alert BSF jawans firing at it making it to fly back towards the Pakistan side.

However, security forces are conducting search operations in the area to locate the UAV.

“Today morning at about 0530 hrs, a blinking red and yellow light in the sky observed by our forward troops in Arnia sector near to the IB. Our troops immediately fired 25 LMG rounds on the flying object due to which it gained some height and went towards Pak side. Area being searched with help of police,” the BSF said.

Drone sightings along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir have increased in the wake of the drone attack on Air Force Station Jammu in June. Two explosions had rocked the high security technical area of the station on the intervening night of June 26-27. Two Indian Air Force personnel sustained minor injuries.

In the wake of frequent UAV sightings, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has ordered stricter adherence to the Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) that was framed to handle threats from Sub-Conventional Aerial Platforms like drones, paragliders, microlight aircraft, hot-air balloons.