A high-capacity memory chip recovered from the drone reportedly contains footage of certain Army installation

The Army on Friday shot down and seized a Pakistani spy drone that entered Indian territory along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu district. 

The incident occurred in the Khour sector when troops heard a buzzing sound and spotted the four-rotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crossing into the Indian side.

According to sources, the Chinese-made drone was being used by the Pakistani side for surveillance and was equipped with a high-resolution camera. A high-capacity memory chip recovered from the drone reportedly contained footage of certain Army installations.

Preliminary investigations suggest the UAV was being remotely operated from across the border to monitor troop movement near the LoC. The sector has witnessed several infiltration attempts in the past.

The Pakistani Army and terror groups have frequently used drones and reconnaissance missions to identify vulnerable stretches along the LoC and International Border to facilitate infiltration. Anticipating such attempts, the Army and the BSF have significantly strengthened surveillance along the border in recent months.

The drone has been sent for forensic examination to determine whether it had previously entered Indian territory and to analyse the footage stored on its memory chip. 

Meanwhile, security forces busted a terrorist hideout in the dense Bhangai forest belt of Thanamandi in Rajouri district and recovered food supplies and other items.

The hideout was unearthed during a joint search operation launched on Thursday evening by 61 Rashtriya Rifles and the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the J&K Police following specific intelligence inputs.

Officials said the hideout was located in a heavily forested area amid thick vegetation. The recovered items included 2 kg of rice, six packets of Maggi, a knife, a lighter, a plastic sheet, a blanket, a gas stove, two candles and a five-litre water container.