A tragic incident occurred at Jammu Airport on Thursday when an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) deployed for surveillance crashed into an Indian Air Force (IAF) tower within the technical area of the airport.

The crash critically injured Naik Surender Kumar, a Defence Security Corps (DSC) soldier who was on duty at the tower. He was immediately admitted to Military Hospital Jammu but succumbed to his injuries during treatment.

The incident happened around 1:30 PM, although some reports suggest the crash occurred at approximately 2:45 PM. The UAV involved was reportedly returning from a routine reconnaissance sortie when it lost control during landing and struck the tower, causing a fire and severe damage.

Naik Surender Kumar, a resident of Muthi Kalan in Samba district, was cremated with full military honors in his native village. He had joined the DSC seven years ago and was scheduled to be posted to Kerala soon. The police have initiated an investigation into the incident under relevant sections of the law.

The technical airport where the incident occurred is a high-security zone used by the IAF's chopper unit and occasionally for VVIP aircraft landings. The crash raises concerns about operational safety and technical reliability of the UAVs used by the Indian Army.

Agencies