New Delhi: The Indian Army opened fire on multiple drones spotted along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district on Tuesday, just hours after Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi cautioned Pakistan against ceasefire violations and cross-border provocations, India Today reported.
Sources confirmed that at least two drones were detected in the Rajouri sector along the LoC. Army troops launched countermeasures and fired at the aerial objects to neutralise them, adhering to standard operating procedures.
Multiple Pakistani drones were observed near the Dungala–Nabla area of the Rajouri sector and were fired upon by Army personnel, sources said. Security forces have been placed on high alert, and the area remains under close surveillance.
In a separate incident, another drone was sighted in the Thandi Kassi area of Rajouri district, prompting authorities to sound a high alert. Search operations have been initiated in areas close to the LoC in Rajouri and neighbouring Poonch districts.
Meanwhile, anti-terror operations have been stepped up in the forest belt of Billawar in Kathua district. An encounter erupted earlier on Tuesday, with security forces and terrorists exchanging fire for approximately 15 minutes. Reinforcements were deployed to the area, and while firing has ceased, the cordon remains intact. Search operations are scheduled to resume on Wednesday morning.
The developments follow a similar alert issued on Sunday evening, when security forces reported multiple suspected Pakistani drone sightings along the International Border and the LoC in Samba, Rajouri and Poonch districts.
Officials said at least five drone movements were recorded in forward areas, triggering extensive ground searches to eliminate the possibility of arms or contraband being dropped on the Indian side. The flying objects were seen entering Indian airspace, hovering briefly over sensitive locations, and then returning towards Pakistan, officials added.
Earlier on Tuesday, during his annual press conference, General Dwivedi stated that India had issued a clear warning to Pakistan regarding recent UAV sightings along the LoC, declaring that such activity was “not acceptable”.
The Army chief said Director General of Military Operations-level talks were held with Pakistan on Tuesday, during which India raised concerns over the latest drone movements. “We have told Pakistan to rein in its drones,” he said, adding that the Army remained fully alert and prepared to deal with any future misadventure.
General Dwivedi said the western front continued to demand close attention following the Pahalgam attack, after which Indian forces recalibrated their posture through a swift “reset strategy”. Operation Sindoor, he said, was executed with precision and remains ongoing.
“Terrorist-initiated activities have reduced, but Pakistan continues to sponsor terrorism,” the Army chief said, warning that any future misadventure would be dealt with effectively.