In the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, security forces have launched a comprehensive combing operation following the detection of a drone crossing the Line of Control (LoC) and dropping a suspicious payload. The incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, January 1, 2026, in the Khari Karmara area near the LoC.

According to official sources, the Pakistani drone intruded into Indian airspace and remained for over five minutes before returning. During its incursion, it dropped a consignment suspected to contain an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), ammunition, and narcotics.

Swiftly responding to the drone activity, the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police cordoned off the area and initiated extensive search operations in Khari Karmara and adjacent areas. The aim is to locate and secure the dropped items and to ensure there is no further terrorist activity on the ground.

During the search, the Army recovered a bag containing 70 rounds of ammunition and a yellow tiffin box, suspected to contain approximately two kilograms of IED. The Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) was called to examine the recovered materials and ensure there was no immediate explosive threat.

The incident occurred amidst heightened counter-terrorism efforts in the region. The Army's Romeo Force is actively engaged in tracking terrorists in the snowbound Pir Panjal range of Poonch. Intelligence agencies have issued warnings about terror groups attempting to exploit the winter months to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir and carry out disruptive activities. Security forces across the region have been placed on high alert to prevent such attempts and maintain stability.

Authorities emphasize that sustained vigilance along the LoC and in the hinterland is crucial in thwarting infiltration and smuggling attempts. In addition to the operation in Poonch, a parallel operation has been ongoing for the past nine days in the Kishtwar and Doda heights. This operation focuses on locating Saifullah, a Pakistani national and senior Jaish-e-Mohammed commander, and his deputy Adil. Both terrorists have a reward of Rs 5 lakh on their heads.

This is not the first time that drones have been used to smuggle weapons and narcotics across the border. In October, security forces foiled a drug smuggling attempt across the International Border (IB) in Jammu, recovering two bags dropped by a Pakistani drone containing over five kilograms of heroin.

The use of drones by Pakistan to push arms, ammunition, and drugs into India and fuel narco-terrorism in J&K has emerged as a major challenge for security agencies over the past few years. The J&K Police had earlier announced cash rewards for providing information about subversive activities.

Authorities have reiterated their commitment to maintaining peace and security in Jammu and Kashmir and have stated that operations will continue until all threats are neutralized.