To prevent another drone strike from across the border the jawans of different security agencies continue to remain on their tenterhooks across Jammu and Kashmir. Early Friday morning, alert BSF troops fired at a quadcopter, belonging to Pakistan, while it attempted to breach the International border to gain access inside the Indian airspace.
The incident of drone spotting was reported around 4.25 a.m.
DIG,BSF Jammu frontier SPS Sandhu in a brief statement said, "BSF troops fired at a quadcopter belonging to Pakistan at about 4.25 a.m as it was trying to cross IB in the Arnia sector. Due to firing it returned back". He, however, added the quadcopter was on a surveillance mission.
Meanwhile, Western Army Commander Lt-Gen RP Singh along with senior army officers visited the Air Force Station,Jammu to take stock of the ongoing investigations in the case. During his visit Lt-Gen Singh also interacted with the members of the NIA investigation team and NSG commandos camping in the station.
After the drone strike, adequate security measures have been taken to secure the strategic assets of the Air Force Station and advanced security systems have been installed to neutralise the potent threat from across the border.
In another related development, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbagh Singh Friday said the hand of Pakistan based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected behind the drone attack on the Air Force Station, Jammu.
Interacting with the media persons after attending the attestation-cum-passing-out parade of the 27th Basic Recruitment Training Course (BRTC) in Kathua district, the DGP said, "The investigation into the drone attack case is in progress. We have not reached any conclusive stage so as to say who is actually involved but now that we have past history of Lashkar using drones to drop weapons, narcotics on this side besides the ready-made Improvised Explosive Devices to be planted at various locations... so at this stage, I would only say that LeT hand is suspected and rest when we move further in the investigation we will be able to say further".
Referring to the arrest of a terrorist with 5.5 kg of IED in Jammu, he said a module was busted which was planning to carry out an IED explosion at a crowded place to cause a large number of casualties on the same day when the twin bombs were dropped on the air force station.
"The IED came and was sent from the LeT handler from across the border. The fellow who was to receive that IED has been arrested and is being interrogated. The IED was to be planted at a crowded place to cause a large number of casualties," the police chief said, complimenting the security agencies and Jammu police for the successful operation of thwarting the attempt before the IED could be planted.
Before the attack in Jammu, Singh said over a dozen incidents of weapon droppings by LeT with the use of drones have taken place. He said RDX was found used in the IED which was recovered. "It was fabricated to be carried and dropped by a drone," he said.
Describing drones as a major security threat, Singh said "the use of drones by anti-national elements, terrorists, to drop weapons and IEDs is a threat and we are taking counter steps (to defeat their designs)".