Since new challenges to the security situation in the shape of terror attacks by means of and using drone flying machines have cropped up, it is incumbent upon the security apparatus not only to nip in the bud and fully pre-empt any such attacks in future but keep on regularly reviewing the security situation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. It is not for the first time when late last month such a terror attack was attempted in Jammu but on many an occasion such drones were sighted in Punjab too. It is now firmly believed rather ascertained that the drone attacks launched last month were from across the border opposite Indian forward village of Makwal and linked to Pakistan ordnance factories. This village is having shortest aerial distance from Pakistan. The immediate task, and definitely new added one, before the security forces is how best such terror strikes could be countered without letting any damages to be caused by such terror strikes. Union Home Secretary reviewing security situation in the UT is an indication of how such drone attacks have been taken very seriously by the Government.
The immediate priority seemingly must rest on upping the security arrangements of vital and sensitive installations, in particular security installations in the Union Territory. Since National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been assigned the task of probing the Jammu drone attack, more details and information gathered could help in devising a suitable strategy to counter such threats and challenges. Since terror and its various antidotes must not be chasing each other and in case even that happens, terror must get neutralised and its designs thwarted – such should be the requisite response from this side. Security forces, otherwise, have been vigorously battling Pakistan sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for the last more than three decades and despite newer dimensions in that having been occurring there intermittently, however, now drones are posing a new challenge especially the capacity of carrying arms and ammunition and even explosives. It can be visualised as to the mechanisations of such forces from across the border that even after the recent drone strikes at Indian Air Force (IAF) Station in Jammu late last month, subsequent sightings of more drones over military installations like at Ratnuchk, Kaluchak, Kunjwani and surroundings indicate how Pakistan was upping its nefarious designs. There is hardly any need to elaborate all about who is behind such new challenge posed to us or what precisely the aim of putting into service such drone flying machines can be except that we must be doubly ready to render such misadventures from across the border as totally ineffective and neutralised much before any damages could be caused.
How could the drones in question succeed in dropping the explosives and manage to fly back across the border or to some other destination during the night travelling their capacity run, especially when these flying machines were stuffed with RDX compact devices, should not be taken as an ordinary threat. It is particularly so when the links of these flying machines has now been traced to Pakistan’s ordnance factories. It is immaterial to reckon how much and which terror outfit played its part or how much the Army and state actors contributed in meticulously planning such an attack but how best could a counter mechanism to thwart such attacks be solidly built is the important question.