Security forces have launched a search operation after nearly half-a-dozen drones from Pakistan were spotted hovering over several forward areas along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.
The drone activity was detected around 9:15 pm on Sunday over Balakote, Langote, and Gursai nallah in the Mendhar sector, officials said. The drones, believed to be used for surveillance, were flying at a high altitude and returned to the Pakistani side within five minutes.
With the break of dawn, the area was cordoned off and a massive search operation was launched in multiple locations where the drone movement was noticed, to rule out the possibility of weapons or narcotics being airdropped, officials added.
Security agencies have been facing an increasing challenge from Pakistan using drones to smuggle arms and narcotics into J&K in recent years. To counter this, police had earlier announced a reward of ₹3 lakh for anyone providing information about a drone sighting leading to the recovery of smuggled material. (Agencies)
