Security agencies were put on high alert after around five drones were spotted near the Pakistan border and the Line of Control (LoC) in the Samba, Rajouri, and Poonch districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday evening. The drones were detected close to sensitive border areas, prompting immediate action by the Indian Army.

As soon as the aerial activity was noticed, army personnel deployed along the border opened fire to neutralise the threat. The drone sightings come at a crucial time, with Republic Day approaching, leading security forces to intensify surveillance and counter-drone operations across the region.

Local residents in the Nowshera sector praised the swift response of the armed forces. “Yesterday evening around 7:30 pm, we noticed drone movement along the border. The Indian Army immediately responded. There was heavy firing in the Jangarh and Kalaal areas. Our forces were on full alert. We are grateful to the army for keeping us safe,” a local resident said.

According to security sources, some Pakistani Army drones were spotted along the LoC in the Nowshera–Rajouri sector. Indian Army units activated counter-unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) measures, forcing the drones to retreat back across the border.

Drone activity reported across multiple locations
Officials said drone movement has been observed continuously in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir over the past few days. On Sunday evening, drones were simultaneously sighted in the Poonch, Nowshera, Dharamshala, Ramgarh, and Parakh areas. In the Nowshera sector of Rajouri district, a Pakistani drone was engaged with medium machine guns (MMGs) and light machine guns (LMGs).

The threat was not limited to one area. A drone-like flying object was also spotted in the Ramgarh sector of the Samba district. Just a day earlier, security forces recovered suspicious material dropped by a drone in the same region.

Weapons recovered earlier
During a search operation following the earlier drone drop, the Border Security Force recovered a consignment of arms and ammunition, including pistols, magazines, Chinese-made grenades, and other incriminating items.