Jammu drone attack: Two IAF personnel injured in twin explosions, red alert issued on J-K border

The twin explosion carried out by drones at the Air Force base in Jammu has reportedly left two Indian Air Force personnel injured, a case under UAPA has been registered.

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

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 was on the ground.

Security agencies believe that the attack was launched from 5 KM area around the base and the target was an IAF helicopter, though they missed the target. Two drones were used to drop the explosive material at the IAF base.

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.

While, the Jammu thwarted a major attack after it recovered IED weighing nearly 5-6 kg from an LET operative who was going to plant it at some crowded place. The suspect is being interrogated, more suspects likely to be picked up in this foiled IED blast attempt. 

The attack at the IAF station is being treated as a terror attack, Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbag Singh confirmed. A case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and other relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act and the Indian Penal Code at the Satwari police station.

There is a strong possibility the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will take over the probe. "The NIA is already supervising the investigation at the scene of the blast after joining the probe," officials told PTI.

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.