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Kathua, Aug 31: Security agencies in Jammu and Kashmir have launched an inquiry after a pigeon carrying a ring inscribed with a Pakistani mobile phone number was recovered from a border village in Kathua district on Sunday.
According to sources, a local resident spotted an unidentified pigeon in his agricultural fields in the Chann Khatrian area and noticed a ring attached to one of its legs. Upon examination, the ring was found to bear the Pakistani mobile number 03001717652, reportedly linked to the Jazz/Mobilink network in Pakistan.
The villager immediately informed local authorities, following which the bird was handed over to the police. Officials have taken possession of the pigeon and initiated verification of the number and other details associated with the ring. Security agencies are also examining whether the bird had crossed over from across the International Border or was part of a routine pigeon-racing network. No suspicious material apart from the ring has been reported so far.
The incident has attracted attention due to Kathua’s proximity to the International Border and comes at a time when security forces remain on heightened alert along the Jammu frontier amid reports of drone activity and infiltration attempts in border districts.
This is not the first time a pigeon carrying markings linked to Pakistan has been recovered in the Jammu region. In May 2020, residents of Manyari village in Kathua’s Hiranagar sector captured a pigeon with a ring carrying numbers and markings, triggering a security probe. The bird was later examined by authorities before being released after no evidence of espionage was found.
Similar incidents have also been reported from Akhnoor and other border areas of Jammu, where pigeons carrying rings, codes or unusual markings were recovered, prompting investigations by police and security agencies because of the sensitive nature of the region.
Officials said the latest recovery is being treated as a matter of routine security verification. The pigeon remains in the custody of the authorities while further investigations are underway to determine its origin and the significance of the Pakistani mobile number found on the ring.
