Balloon with Pakistan International Airlines logo recovered in border village of Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir

Kathua:

A balloon with the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) logo was on Wednesday recovered in border village of Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir. Last year, one such suspicious aeroplane-shaped balloon with Pakistan International Airlines’ logo on it was found in Jammu city.

Saffron-coloured Pakistani balloon was found in Nai Basti area

Giving details, officials stated that the white and saffron-coloured Pakistani balloon was found in the Nai Basti area of Jammu and had ‘PIA’ written on it in green colour.

It should be noted that balloons released into the air from the Pakistani side across the international border have periodically been found in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts close to the border.

Suspicious objects have been found near LoC

Many times, such suspicious objects have also been found near the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts.

Apart from balloons, drones have also been used by terror outfits operating from across the border with the help of the Pakistani Army to carry weapons, drugs and cash to support terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

In many cases, these drones have been recovered on the ground before their payloads could be picked up by the terrorists or the overground workers.

Several drones were shot down by Indian Army

While some of the drones have specific objectives to sustain terrorism, the purpose of balloons bearing Pakistani markings is believed to be meant to distract the attention of the security forces and create panic among the common citizens, intelligence agencies say.

Several such drones were also shot down by the Army when they were seen flying in the sky in Srinagar city. In the meantime, India has made it clear that any future terror attack on Indian soil will be treated as an act of war by Pakistan.