J&K Police shoots down drone in Akhnoor, 5kg IED found
What's the story
The Jammu and Kashmir Police today shot down a hexacopter drone in the Akhnoor sector of Jammu district.
The drone was shot down around six kilometers inside the International Border, ANI reported.
Police said they also recovered five kilograms of explosives from the hexacopter.
Drone sightings in the area have drastically increased after a twin blast at the Jammu Air Force base last month.
Details
Drone came from Pakistani side of border, report says
The drone had been flown from the Pakistani side of the border, The Indian Express reported citing sources.
The improvised explosive device (IED) contained in it was wrapped in a plastic packet and was likely meant to be air-dropped in a nearby area.
Those collecting it only had to connect the fuse with the wires before planting it.
Incident
Police suspect Lashkar-e-Taiba's participation in operation
The explosives were later destroyed by the police, sources told the publication.
Probe agencies are investigating whether the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) is behind this operation.
The incident has come just two days before President Ram Nath Kovind is expected to visit Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
President Kovind will reportedly be on a three-day visit and will celebrate Kargil Diwas on July 26.
History
Drone sightings became common after June 27 blasts
On June 27, a drone attack was carried out at the Indian Air Force station in Jammu, marking the first-of-its-kind operation on an Indian military facility.
It left two IAF personnel injured and raised concerns over possible drone attacks.
Since then, several drones have been sighted in different areas of Jammu and Kashmir and security forces fired at them in some cases.
Developments
J&K DGP directs officials to stay alert over drone sightings
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh has directed officials to remain alert as terror outfits are continuously trying to use drones to carry out attacks.
He said all suspicious elements should be checked to foil any attack attempts.
"Terror outfits are continuously attempting to use drones for terrorist activities," Singh recently told news agency PTI.