Indian army chief says Pakistan told to control ‘drone intrusions’
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A Kamikaze drone on display during the second edition of the Pakistan International Maritime Expo in Karachi.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW DELHI - India’s army chief said on Jan 13 that the head of Pakistan’s military operations had been told to control what he said were drone intrusions from Pakistan into India, months after the nuclear-armed rivals engaged in their worst fighting in decades.
An Indian military source said there were five drone intrusions on Jan 11 on the frontier in the Jammu region of Indian Kashmir.
In another incident, on Jan 9, a drone from Pakistan was suspected to have dropped two pistols, three ammunition magazines, 16 bullets and one grenade that were recovered following a search, the source said.
Indian army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said at least eight drones had been sighted since Jan 10.
“These drones, I believe, were defensive drones, which want to go up and see if any action was being taken,” Mr Dwivedi told reporters at an annual press conference ahead of Army Day on Jan 15.
“It’s possible they also wanted to see if there were any gaps, any laxity in the Indian army, any gaps through which they could send terrorists,” he said, adding that the directors of military operations of the two sides spoke by phone on Jan 13.
“This matter was discussed... today, and they have been told that this is unacceptable to us, and please put a stop to it. This has been conveyed to them.”
Indian media reports cited army officials as saying the incursions were by military drones. There was no immediate reaction from Pakistan to his comments.
May conflict the worst in decades
Ties between the nuclear-armed rivals have been frozen since a four-day conflict in May, their worst in decades, that was sparked after a militant attack on Hindu tourists in Kashmir killed 26 men. New Delhi said the attack was backed by Pakistan, allegations which Islamabad denied.
The two sides used fighter jets, missiles, drones and heavy artillery, killing dozens on both sides before agreeing to a ceasefire.
In the past, there have been reports of civilian drone intrusions from Pakistan into Indian states along the border, with Indian security agencies telling local media that they had shot down drones that were seeking to drop light arms or drugs.
Pakistan has dismissed the accusations as baseless and misleading.
India also accuses Pakistan of helping what it says are Islamist “terrorists” to enter to the Indian side of Kashmir, where tens of thousands of people have been killed in a revolt against New Delhi’s rule that began in 1989 and lasted decades until the violence ebbed.
Pakistan denies the Indian accusations and says that it only provides political and diplomatic support to Kashmiris fighting against New Delhi. REUTERS
