Sighting of suspicious balloons on the rise in J-K, say officials after latest find of PIA-marked plane-shaped one

Though such balloons with Pakistani markings have been found in parts of J&K in the past, their sightings have increased, officials said. Last Friday, a similar balloon was found in the fields in Samba district’s Ramgarh area along the International Border with Pakistan. After being informed by locals, police seized it and launched searches to find other such objects.

Police sources said that these are only balloons and have not been found carrying any explosive or other material so far.

The detection of such balloons is not confined only to Jammu province. Security forces on Wednesday seized 10 balloons carrying a Pakistani flag near Sarna Top along the LoC in Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has 240 km of the International Border with Pakistan, and 740 km of the LoC.

While the Army and the BSF keep watch 24×7 along the border to prevent any cross-border activity by terrorists and narcotics smugglers, the J&K Police, along with other security forces, maintain vigil in the hinterland. However, terror outfits and Pakistan-based drug syndicates have been found dropping arms and ammunition, as well as narcotics, through drones, which are often seized by security forces and police from time to time, officials said.

Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General of Police for Rajouri-Poonch range, Tajinder Singh, urged officers to augment operations through innovative intelligence collection and analysis techniques.

Addressing a comprehensive intelligence, security and crime review meeting in Poonch on Sunday, he emphasised on the strengthening of human intelligence at the grassroots level for timely inputs and proactive policing to counter cross-border narcotics smuggling and terror networks.