Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir seized an aeroplane-shaped balloon marked with Pakistan International Airlines in the Pargwal area along the Line of Control, while a drone was recovered in Poonch district. Officials report a rise in sightings of such suspicious balloons.
On Monday, army troops in the Pargwal area along the Line of Control recovered an aeroplane-shaped balloon from fields in Gurah Manhasa village, bearing the Pakistan flag along with PIA—Pakistan International Airlines—in English and Urdu. Officials stated that investigations have begun into how it reached the area.
Jammu and Kashmir Police also seized an abandoned drone from fields in Gohled village near the LoC in Mendhar tehsil of Poonch district. Last Friday, a similar balloon was found in the Ramgarh area of Samba district along the International Border, which police seized following local alerts and initiated searches for other objects.
Police sources indicated that these balloons have not been found carrying explosives or other materials so far. In Baramulla district of Kashmir, security forces seized 10 balloons with Pakistani flags near Sarna Top along the LoC on Wednesday. Jammu and Kashmir shares a 240 km International Border with Pakistan and a 740 km LoC.
The army and BSF maintain 24x7 surveillance along the border, while Jammu and Kashmir Police ensure vigil in the hinterland. However, terror groups and Pakistan-based drug syndicates have been dropping arms, ammunition, and narcotics via drones, which are frequently seized.
Deputy Inspector General of Police for the Rajouri-Poonch range, Tajinder Singh, addressed a comprehensive intelligence, security, and crime review meeting in Poonch on Sunday, urging officers to enhance operations through innovative intelligence collection and analysis. He emphasized strengthening human intelligence at the grassroots for timely inputs and proactive policing against cross-border narcotics smuggling and terror networks.
