Mahim Gupta
Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 29: A suspected Pakistani drone was sighted near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, prompting security forces to launch a large-scale search operation across the border belt on Saturday morning.
According to officials, the drone was spotted hovering over Bharoti village in the Balakote area of the Mendhar sector. It reportedly moved toward Manglanar-Dabrote near the border before turning back and retreating into Pakistani territory a short while later.
Following the sighting, Army personnel deployed along the LoC heightened surveillance and launched a search operation at first light to determine whether the drone had dropped any suspicious payload in the area. The search was still underway at the time of reporting, with security forces placed on high alert across the border sector. Meanwhile, acting on inputs about suspicious movement, police, the Army and paramilitary forces have also launched extensive combing operations in the dense forests of Udhampur, Kathua and Rajouri. Since Friday evening, a joint operation has been underway across the Udhampur-Kathua forest belt, covering the Khuban, Nagain, Khatrail, Godu Falal, Padetar, Chor Mottu, Kiya, Kheba, Bhed, Marta, Jofar and surrounding areas.
In Rajouri, search operations were also conducted in the Gaibas, Mithiyani, Mogla and Narla areas after villagers reported movement of two armed men suspected to be militants.
Related developments referenced alongside this report include a fresh drone-infiltration plot flagged in Nowshera (Rajouri), a foiled Pakistani drone intrusion bid in Rajouri, and separate infiltration/firing incidents along the LoC in the Nowshera sector — suggesting a broader pattern of heightened cross-border activity this week. |
