In a terror attack, two low-intensity explosions left two Indian Air Force (IAF) personnel injured at the Jammu Air Force Station on Sunday. The devices are suspected to have been dropped and detonated by unmanned aerial vehicles.
“Two low-intensity explosions were reported in the technical area of the Jammu Air Force Station. One caused minor damage to the roof of a building while the other exploded in an open area. There was no damage to any equipment. A probe is on,” an IAF spokesman said.
The sound of blasts was heard from inside the station around 1:40 a.m. and exploded within six minutes of each other.Two IAF personnel suffered minor injuries, officials said.
“An FIR under section 16,18,23 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, section 3 of Explosive Substance Act and 307, 120-B of the IPC has been lodged in the incident,” Inspector General of Police Mukesh Singh told The Hindu.
The high-security Jammu Air Force Station is a technical airport and hosts helicopters and transport aircraft only.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team, besides the IAF teams, also visited the site at the airport. A few individuals have been questioned, they added.
Security agencies suspect the use of a drone or a quadcopter in the attack. “We are piecing together the evidence at the site,” an official said.
The attackers may have been operating the drone in close vicinity of the air base because such vehicles have limited range, officials said.
Union Defence Minister Rajnath also spoke to Air Chief Marshal H.S. Arora, Vice-Chief of the Air Staff of the IAF, regarding the incident.
Western Air Commander Air Marshal V.R. Chaudhari is scheduled to visit the base to assess the situation. IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria, who is on an official trip to Bangladesh, is monitoring the situation from there, officials said.
Earlier this year, the Border Security Forces (BSF) foiled a few attempts to drop weapons by using drones on this side of the International Border in Jammu’s Samba and Kathua belt.
There have been warnings that Pakistan-based terrorist groups could attempt to target military bases with drones. After the drone attack on Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Eastern Saudi Arabia in September 2019, the armed forces held deliberations on the issue and put in place plans to procure counter-drone capabilities.
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has developed an anti-drone technology for short ranges which was deployed for Prime Minister’s security during the Independence Day address last August.
Last December, Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh said that the Navy was procuring Smash-2000 rifles to counter drones, among other measures.