Drones reported along IB in Jammu's Samba, Punjab's Jalandhar; army says situation under control

Jammu: Drone activity was reported for a few hours late Monday night along the International Border in Jammu’s Samba district and Punjab’s Jalandhar district, reported PTI.

The Army later confirmed that the situation was under control. “No enemy drones are being reported at present,” it said in a statement late at night.

Earlier, security forces had engaged suspected drones spotted near Samba. The sightings came just hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation following Operation Sindoor and the meeting of the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan.

The Army had assured that there was no cause for alarm.
“A small number of suspected drones have been observed near Samba in Jammu and Kashmir. They are being engaged,” it had said.

In response to the situation, precautionary blackouts were reported in several areas across Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Jammu. Lights were also switched off at the Mata Vaishno Devi cave shrine and along its track, sources said.

The latest round of hostilities between India and Pakistan began in the northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla in Kashmir and later spread southward to Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, and the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu. The tensions have affected five key border districts: Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu.

The recent spate of cross-border firings has further undermined the February 2021 ceasefire agreement, which has already been strained by repeated violations along the 740-kilometre Line of Control (LoC).

Meanwhile, in Punjab’s Jalandhar district, a suspected surveillance drone was reportedly neutralised by the armed forces.

Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal said, “I have been informed that one surveillance drone was brought down by the armed forces around 9:20 pm near Mand village. An expert team is searching for the debris.”

At 10.45 pm, he issued an advisory asking the public not to approach any suspected drone debris and to inform the nearest police station instead.

Aggarwal also said that no drone activity had been observed in the area since 10 pm, and he urged residents to stay calm and refrain from bursting firecrackers, which had been reported in some parts.

Earlier in the evening, lights were switched off in parts of Suranassi as a precaution. “We are verifying the sightings. There is no complete blackout as of now. There is nothing to worry about, as confirmed by armed forces officers who remain on regular vigil,” he said in a message at 9:15 pm.

Punjab shares a 553-kilometre-long border with Pakistan.

India and Pakistan reached an understanding on May 10 to cease all military actions — on land, sea, and air — with immediate effect, following four days of intense drone and missile strikes that pushed both nations to the brink of full-scale war.

Blackout measures were also implemented in parts of Amritsar and Hoshiarpur districts. An Amritsar-bound IndiGo flight had to return to Delhi after the blackout led to the closure of Amritsar airport, sources said.