A suspected Pakistani drone was recovered from an agricultural field near the international border in the Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.
The drone, identified as a DJI Matrice 300 RTK, was recovered from the Border Outpost (BOP) Lalfamkima, about 800 metres from the IB, during a search operation by the Border Security Force (BSF), reports said.
The recovery followed a reported drone sighting during the intervening night of November 11 and 12, when a suspected unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), fitted with blinking blue and red lights, was spotted hovering over Forward Defence Positions (FDPs) 57 and 58 in the area of responsibility (AOR) of BOP Lalfamkima, manned by the BSF’s 101 Battalion.
According to preliminary information, the suspected drone was spotted at approximately 12:06 am on November 12. The Air Defence System (ADS) at Nandpur was immediately alerted at around 12:07 am. However, the ADS reportedly failed to detect any drone activity.
Following the incident, BSF personnel launched a search operation in the BOP Lalfamkima area at around 7:30 am on Thursday.
During the search, security personnel recovered a DJI Matrice 300 drone lying in an agricultural field at approximately 8:30 am. The drone was found around 700–800 metres inside Indian territory from the International Border.
The drone was immediately taken into BSF custody and dispatched to the BSF Frontier Headquarters at Paloura at around 9 am for further investigation.
The recovery is significant as security agencies have repeatedly expressed concerns over the use of drones along the India-Pakistan border for suspected cross-border activities, including the transportation of weapons, ammunition and narcotics.
No payload was found attached to the drone at the time of its recovery, reports said. Officials said the drone had been sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for detailed examination.
Investigators are expected to analyse the device to establish its technical specifications and gather information that could help determine its origin, ownership and possible flight history.
In several previous incidents in the Jammu region, security forces have recovered arms consignments and narcotics suspected to have been delivered through drones originating from across the border. In January 2026, for instance, an arms consignment containing pistols, magazines, ammunition and a grenade was recovered near the International Border in Samba district following suspected drone movement.
The latest recovery has raised questions about the circumstances under which the drone reached the area and whether it was being used for surveillance or any other cross-border activity.
Investigators are expected to examine the drone’s technical components, identification details, onboard data, and available flight records to establish its origin, route, and intended purpose.
However, there is no confirmation so far that the recovered drone originated in Pakistan or was used to drop any arms, ammunition or narcotics.