Pakistan shoots down Indian ‘spy’ drone

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), in a brief statement, said the Indian drone was brought down near the Line of Control in Bhimber area of Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

The Army claimed that the drone was being used for aerial photography and was “brought down for violation of Pakistan’s territorial integrity”.

The Indian Army as well as the Indian Air Force, however, have denied that any of their drone has been shot down or crashed. A spokesperson of the Indian Army said: “Some reports of a drone crash in PoK are being referred to. No drone or UAV crash of the Indian Army has taken place.”

The alleged shooting down of the drone occurred nearly a week after the ice-breaking meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Ufa, Russia.

In a separate incident along the International Border, a woman was killed and two BSF jawans were injured during an exchange of fire between Indian and Pakistani border guards in Jammu on Wednesday. BSF officials in Jammu said that Pakistan’s Chenab Rangers resorted to unprovoked firing towards its (BSF’s) Molu post in Akhnoor sector, about 40-km from winter capital (Jammu) at 8.55 am on Wednesday, injuring one BSF jawan.

The BSF defending the IB which is called ‘Working Boundary’ by Islamabad retaliated and returned the fire and a heavy exchange between the facing troops continued for some time. At 9.10 am, the Chenab Rangers targeted BSF’s Border Outposts (BOPs) in similar fashion in neighbouring Kanhachak sector. A sniper shot at one of the forward posts of the BSF injured constable Anjali Kumar of 89 Battalion, officials said.

According to the J&K police, the Pakistan border guards also fired mortars towards the hamlets falling close to the IB in Jammu district, killing a 42-year-old woman, Poli Devi, and injuring five other civilians. The injured were identified as Ramesh Lal and Usha Devi, residents of Bhalwal Bharth village.