Jammu: Security officials in Jammu recovered a suspicious aeroplane-shaped balloon on Sunday, bearing the logo of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The balloon, colored white and saffron with ‘PIA’ written in green, was found in the Nai Basti area of the city. Similar balloons with Pakistani markings have been sighted earlier in border districts such as Jammu, Kathua and Samba, as well as near the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch.
While drones are regularly deployed by terror outfits across the border with the support of the Pakistani Army to deliver weapons, narcotics and cash, balloons are suspected to be used to distract security forces and create panic among civilians, intelligence officials said.
A week ago, a similar aircraft-shaped balloon with the PIA logo was discovered near a forward post in Ramgarh sector of Samba district by BSF troops.
Specialized equipment has been deployed along the international border to detect and neutralize drones. On several occasions, such drones have been seized before their payloads could be retrieved by terrorists or their local handlers.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated after the Indian Armed Forces destroyed nine terror infrastructure sites during ‘Operation Sindoor’ on May 7. Pakistan retaliated by targeting civilian areas along the LoC and the international border, extensively using drones to drop explosives. Over a dozen drones were subsequently shot down by the Army, including some over Srinagar.
In the ensuing escalation, India struck back on May 10, extensively damaging 11 Pakistani air bases. New Delhi has since reiterated that any future terror attack on its soil will be treated as an act of war by Islamabad.