Drones, satellite calls raise alarm ahead of R-Day
In the run-up to the Republic Day celebrations, the security forces continue to remain on their tenterhooks across the Jammu region following a surge in incidents of drone droppings and frequent spotting of terrorists in the hilly districts. On Sunday, intelligence agencies alerted the security grid in the region immediately after they picked up a satellite phone communication in the Kanachak area near the International Border in Jammu.
The communication by suspected terrorists was traced to a Thuraya Satellite device, prompting a joint search operation by the Special Operations Group of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force and the Army.
Kanachak, located on the outskirts of Jammu, is just one kilometre from the International Border, and has earlier been used by terrorists as an infiltration route from across the border. The whole area was cordoned off, and a massive search operation was launched to track down the whereabouts of the terrorists or overground workers active in the area.
Massive anti-terrorist operations were also going on in the frontier district of Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi and Udhampur districts ahead of the Republic Day celebrations to track down and neutralise nearly three dozen terrorists who are believed to be operating in the region. The security forces have been conducting long-range patrols and maintaining a tight vigil on the movement of the suspected people in Udhampur and Reasi districts following intelligence reports about the presence of Pakistani terrorists in the region.
Earlier, on Saturday, a suspicious pigeon was also caught near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Akhnoor sector, prompting the police authorities to launch a thorough investigation to rule out any mischief. Jawans of the Border Security Force (BSF) had recovered a consignment of arms and ammunition dropped by a Pakistani drone near the international border in Samba district.
