J&K: Cop, one other tasked to deliver arms dropped by Pak drone to militants arrested

With this, J&K Police in Jammu have arrested three persons in the arms dropping case with the first arrest of Irfan Ahmed Bhat from Anantnag on October 12. Associated with Lashkar-e-Taiba, he was allegedly in contact with his handlers in Pakistan.

On the intervening night of October 1 and 2, the police had seized a package dropped in the Phalian Mandal area by a drone that came in from Pakistan across the international border. The packet contained a rifle and three magazines and 30 rounds, besides an optical sight.

Accordingly, an FIR under Sections 120-B IPC, 7/25 of the Arms Act and 13,16,18,23 of the ULAP were registered at Satwari police station.

Sources said while Irfan was tasked to pick up the package and carry it to Kashmir Valley, Ishfaq and Ghulam Rasool had to take it to the militants’ hideout as their Pakistani handlers believed that no one would suspect Ishafq as he is a cop.

Cross border drone activities in the Jammu division have registered an increase over the past one year posing a major challenge to the security agencies. Two Indian Air Force personnel had sustained minor injuries and the roof of a building at the Indian Air Force Station here sustained damage following two explosions in the first-ever drone attack in Jammu and Kashmir in June this year.

The security forces have so far shot down two drones and recovered a huge quantity of arms, ammunition and explosives, including sticky bombs, dropped by drones from Pakistan from time to time.