Jammu terror attack: Drone's target was Air Traffic Control building, MI-17 helicopters, 2 suspects in NIA custody

The target for the drone attack in Jammu was the Air Traffic Control (ATC) building and MI 17 helicopters but both drones missed their targets, as per sources from Intelligence agencies.

New Delhi: In a big revealtion on the Jammu drone attack incident, sources from Intelligence agencies have claimed that the Air Traffic Control (ATC) building and MI 17 helicopters were the targets of the bombings at the Indian Air Force base, but both drones missed their targets. 

Two drones carried out an attack inside Jammu's Air Force base in the early hours of Sunday. The explosions took place in the intervening night of saturday and Sunday at around 1.40 am six minutes apart.

One of the two drones had a 5 kg TNT bomb while the other had a slightly lower payload, sources said. The bomb unit of the National Security Guard (NSG) and experts from other agencies are further investigating the explosives used.

In the attack two Indian Air Force personnel have reportedly been injured. The Indian Air Force said in its statement that both the soldiers are under observation and are fine.

The Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria spoke to the injured soldiers on the phone. Air Chief Marshal is currently in Bangladesh.

The first blast ripped off the roof of a single-storey building at the high security technical area of the airport while the second one took place at a distance of 100 meters from ATC.

Following the attack, a red alert has been sounded on the J&K border with Punjab and Himachal and patrolling has been intensified at all the checkpoints, sources said.

Jammu and Kashmir Police DGP Dilbag Singh told Zee News that an IED weighing 5 to 6 kg has been recovered by the Jammu Police in the city. The IED was recovered from a Lashkar operative who was preparing to install the explosives in any congested area in the city. With this recovery a major attack was thwarted. 

The police is interrogating the arrested Lashkar operative. It is expected that J&K Police will nab some more Lashkar operatives till the completion of the interrogation. 

Dilbagh Singh said that the Jammu and Kashmir Police is working in collaboration with other agencies on the Jammu airfield blast. Police have registered an FIR in this matter and investigation is still on.

Meanwhile, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Vice Air Chief, Air Marshal HS Arora regarding today’s incident at Air Force Station in Jammu. Air Marshal Vikram Singh was at the incident site to take stock of the situation.

This is the second such terrorist attack on an Air Force Station in the forward area after Pathankot.