Jammu, Jan 10 : Security forces on Saturday recovered an arm/ammunition consignment dropped by a Pakistani drone near the international border (IB) in J&Kâ??s Samba district, officials said.

The security forces foiled an attempt by terror handlers operating from across the IB, who dropped an arms consignment for the terrorists through a Pakistani drone in Samba district, officials added.

â??Security forces recovered an arm/ammunition consignment dropped by a Pakistani drone in the Regal forward area near the IB in Samba district. The recovery was made during routine surveillance and area domination in the forward belt close to the IB. Alert troops detected suspicious material in the Regal area and subsequently conducted a thorough search operation, leading to the recovery of the consignment," the statement said.

â??The recovered arms/ammunition include two pistols, three magazines, 16 rounds of ammunition, and one grenade. Security forces believe the consignment was intended to be used for disruptive activities in the border region. The timely detection and recovery of the arms prevented a potential security threat in the area. The use of drones for cross-border dropping of weapons and contraband has emerged as a recurring challenge for security forces along the IB and the line of control (LoC) in J&K," it said.

A case has been registered, and further investigation has been launched to trace the intended recipients and establish the exact route and launch point of the drone.

Security has been further strengthened in the border area, and additional surveillance measures have been put in place to counter such attempts. "Effective ground patrolling and technical monitoring remain crucial in thwarting drone-based infiltration and smuggling activities in the region," officials said.

Jammu and Kashmir has a 740 km long LoC situated in the Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora districts of the Valley and Poonch, Rajouri, and partly inthe Jammu district of Jammu division.

The LoC is guarded by the army. There is a 240 km-long IB in Samba, Kathua, and Jammu districts, which is guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF).

/IANS