India Launches Anti-Terror Sweeps After Pakistani Drone Intrusion

Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir launched a series of operations on August 4, 2026, following intelligence reports of terrorist movement and a drone intrusion from Pakistan. The Jammu and Kashmir Police and Rashtriya Rifles executed a massive cordon-and-search operation in the remote Surankote and Mendhar tehsils of Poonch district. The sweep targeted two separate groups of suspected terrorists in the forested regions of Dhara Sangla, Gujjar Naar, and Kherowali Dhok, though officials reported no one had established contact or exchanged fire with the suspects by Tuesday afternoon.

In the Hiranagar sector of Kathua district, a Pakistani drone entered Indian territory around 2 p.m. and hovered over the villages of Shukhmal, Devindera, and Tapan. The Border Security Force attempted to down the aircraft, but it returned to Pakistan, prompting searches for potential dropped payloads. Earlier that day, the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad recovered an old, rusted mortar shell from a residence in the same sector after laborers found the object during excavation.

These incidents follow reports that Pakistan deployed approximately 250 Chinese-origin SH-15 self-propelled artillery guns along the border. In response, the Ministry of External Affairs of India asserted that the country would take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and demanded an end to cross-border terrorism.