Drones again: Spotted over military areas outside Jammu city

A day after the Army “thwarted a major threat” by opening fire at drones flying over the Kaluchak-Ratnuchak military stations near Jammu city, the flying machine was spotted again in the area, during the early hours of Tuesday.

Sources said the drone was spotted thrice at Ratnuchak-Kunjawani areas — first around 1:08 am at Ratnuchak, then at 3:09 am and 4:19 am near Kunjwani. The area was immediately cordoned off.

However, there has been no official confirmation from the Army so far.

On Monday, the Army had said drones were sighted flying out over the Kaluchak-Ratnuchak military stations the previous night. “A major threat was thwarted by the alertness and proactive approach of troops. The security forces are on high alert and a search operation is in progress,’’ Army PRO Lt Colonel Devender Anand had said.

The drone sightings come after a blast at the Air Force Station in Jammu, suspected to have been carried out by a drone. On the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, two explosive devices were airdropped through drones at the Air Force Station, injuring two persons and damaging the roof of a building, sources have said.

The airdropping of weapons and contraband through flying machines from Pakistan into Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab is not new, with several such cases reported over the past two years. However, the drone activity over defence installations in areas on the outskirts of Jammu city has come as a surprise, sources said.

For the Sunday blast, the police have registered a case under provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Meanwhile, the Union home ministry has transferred investigations to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is likely to register a fresh FIR.

Teams of NIA and the National Security Guard (NSG) bomb disposal squad have been in Jammu since Sunday. Police and security forces too have been conducting searches in areas around the Air Force Station.