Four grenades, three pistols, six magazines and 48 bullets airdropped in Samba’s Rakh Barotiya
Jammu, April 3
The police seized explosives, arms and ammunition, suspected to have been dropped by a drone from Pakistan, in Samba district of Jammu division on Monday. The packet containing four hand grenades, three Chinese pistols, six magazines and 48 bullets was spotted by local residents at around 7.15 am near the railway tracks in Rakh Barotiya area, barely half a kilometre from the Jammu-Srinagar highway, after which the police were informed.
Though no one saw who or which object dropped the packet, a long string was found near the spot, indicating that it had been airdropped. Samba SSP Benam Tosh said a bomb disposal squad was called before opening the packet to ascertain if there was an improvised explosive device inside it. “It is a matter of investigation if the packet was airdropped by some drone,” said the SSP. The weapons were packed in a manner similar to that of the previous drone dropping cases. The weapons were packed in a green packet wrapped with a yellow tape.
Sources said the arms and ammunition could have been dropped by the same drone which was repelled by the BSF in Ramgarh sector of Samba early on Saturday. Nothing was found during a search operation in the area.
Sources in the police said it was being ascertained who was supposed to collect the packet from the area after it was dropped. “Local residents are being questioned to ascertain if they know someone who took a room on rent in the area recently or if they saw suspicious people roaming in the area,” sources said.
On March 30, a hand grenade was found in Saniyal village of Hiranagar in Kathua district after a high intensity explosion on the previous night. The police had said that the suspected IED could have been triggered to target the nearby border police post at the international border.
Drone repelled recently
- Seeing blinking light in Ramgarh at 12.15 am on Saturday, BSF men opened fire, forcing it to return to Pakistan’s area.
- Sources say the same drone could have dropped the packet that was seized in Rakh Barotiya area of Samba.
- Samba SSP Benam Tosh says a bomb disposal squad was called before opening the packet to ascertain if there was some IED inside it.