Indian army troops responded to a Pakistani drone near the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, firing shots to deter its intrusion into Indian territory. The drone retreated to Pakistan after hovering briefly over Indian soil. Authorities initiated a search operation following the incident. The Jammu and Kashmir police have offered a cash reward for information leading to the recovery of materials dropped by drones from across the border, aiming to curb illicit activities.

They said the movement of the enemy drone was picked up in the Nar Mankote area of Mendhar and the troops guarding the LoC fired at least three rounds to bring it down.

The drone returned to the Pakistan side in the face of firing by Indian troops, the officials said, adding that a search operation is underway in the area.

The Jammu and Kashmir police recently announced a cash reward of ₹3 lakh to anyone informing on drones flown from across the border to drop narcotics, arms or explosive materials, leading to the recovery of the material.

(With Agency inputs)