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| Terror takes flight: Cross-border pigeon delivers railway station bomb threat | | |  Sanjay Pandita
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 21: Security forces captured a pigeon from Pakistan carrying a threatening note warning of an IED blast at Jammu railway station, prompting authorities to sound a high alert and deploy additional security measures across the sensitive border region.
The incident occurred on August 18 at around 9 pm when the pigeon was caught in the Katmaria area along the International Border in RS Pura, Jammu district. A handwritten note in Urdu and English was found tied to the bird's claws, containing the message "IED Jammu Railway Station Blast" along with provocative slogans including "Kashmir Freedom," "Kashmir Hamara Hai," and "Waqt Aa Gaya Hai" (Time has come).
Within minutes of the pigeon's capture, security forces strengthened protective measures at Jammu railway station and across the region. Dog squads and bomb disposal teams have been deployed, while trains are being thoroughly checked and passengers subjected to intensive frisking.
"The pigeon might have been specially trained and released from across the border with a threat message tied to its claws, so forces have taken the matter seriously," security sources told reporters.
The railway station, which serves thousands of Vaishno Devi pilgrims daily, has been placed under heightened surveillance with local police maintaining round-the-clock vigil.
Jammu railway station holds particular significance as a high-value target, having faced terrorist attacks in the past. In 2004, a deadly assault on the facility killed four sec Security forces captured a pigeon from Pakistan carrying a threatening note warning of an IED blast at Jammu railway station.
It prompted authorities to sound a high alert and deploy additional security measures across the sensitive border region.
The incident occurred on August 18 at around 9 pm when the pigeon was caught in the Katmaria area along the International Border in RS Pura.
The pigeon might have been specially trained and released from across the border with a threat message tied to its claws.
The station's strategic importance is amplified by its role as the primary gateway for pilgrims traveling to the Vaishno Devi shrine, making it a sensitive location requiring constant security monitoring.
While Pakistan has previously used unconventional methods to send messages across the International Border—including balloons, flags, and trained pigeons—this marks the first documented case of a pigeon carrying an explicit bomb threat.
Security agencies are treating the incident with utmost seriousness, investigating whether it represents a genuine terror plot or an act of mischief designed to create panic and disrupt normal life.
Authorities are analyzing the handwritten note, which has circulated on social media platforms, to determine its authenticity and potential links to terrorist organizations. The threat message specifically mentioned plans to target the railway station using an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
Police have intensified security checks across all sensitive installations in the region as a precautionary measure, while intelligence agencies assess the credibility of the threat in light of current security challenges and cross-border tensions.
The incident underscores the evolving nature of security threats along the India-Pakistan border, where traditional surveillance methods must now account for unconventional delivery mechanisms including trained animals and aerial objects. |
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