New Delhi, March 3 – The Indian Army has intensified surveillance and monitoring along the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir in response to a significant increase in drone sightings. This heightened surveillance comes in the wake of Pakistan attempting to deploy more drones and balloons resembling aircraft into Jammu and Kashmir.
The police in Jammu and Kashmir spotted and then seized a balloon that resembled an aircraft. The police found that the object had the inscription of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on it.
The preliminary investigation found no electrical or electronic components attached to it. The police are seeking more details about the case, and the investigation is ongoing, an official said.
An official from the Intelligence Bureau said that the object did not cause any harm. However, it cannot be considered a random incident. This development comes in the wake of the Indian Army thwarting multiple drone intrusions from Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC).
Most of these incidents have been reported in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir. In recent months, the Army has noticed that the Pakistanis have been making multiple attempts to send drones into India.
Last month, at least two quadcopters attempted to breach the Indian airspace along the LoC in the Poonch area. This has led the Army to conduct swift counter-drone actions.
Officials say that they do not see these incidents as isolated ones. Another official said that what has been different this time is that most of these drones have not been intended to smuggle in narcotics or arms. The intention has also not been to cause harm or conduct surveillance.
The official added that this is a deliberate ploy on the part of the Pakistanis to keep the Indian security agencies engaged. This is meant to create a distraction so that the launch pads in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) can be activated and infiltrations can take place.
Since 'Operation Sindoor', the Pakistanis have not been able to infiltrate a single terrorist into India. An Intelligence estimate states that there are over 1,000 terrorists of both the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad who are waiting at the launchpads.
Many have made multiple attempts to enter India, but all such attempts have been thwarted. This is leading to a sense of desperation among these terror groups.
The Intelligence agencies say that Pakistan is looking to send more such suspicious objects into India. Currently, they are coming in smaller numbers, but this could increase dramatically.
They would want to keep the security agencies engaged for a longer period of time and then choose an opportune time to push multiple terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir.
The ISI is desperate to get operations in Jammu and Kashmir up and running. It is under immense pressure from the terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad.
Earlier, the Pakistan Army would indulge in firing to distract the Indian armed forces. Another official explained that Pakistan is finding it hard to beat the security systems in place at the border. The security forces operate on multiple layers, which are designed in such a way that it can handle intrusions, firing and also prevent infiltration, all at the same time.
Hence Pakistan is bound to come up with various tricks to distract the security agencies and then try and get the infiltration process going, the official also added.
