Jammu, October 11, 2025 – The night sky over Samba district turned tense late Friday, when two Pakistani drones pierced the darkness, hovering low over quiet border hamlets like uninvited ghosts. Spotted around 11 PM over Challiyari in the Ghagwal sector and Chamliyal in Ramgarh, the intrusions set off alarms at the Border Security Force (BSF) outposts. By dawn Saturday, troops had the areas locked down, kicking off a wide-ranging search that fanned out through wheat fields and narrow lanes, hunting for any dropped contraband – arms, drugs, you name it.
BSF officials, speaking from their Ramgarh headquarters around 9 AM, confirmed the sighting to a clutch of reporters: “These aren’t joyrides; we’re treating it as a potential smuggling or recon bid.” No explosions or drops reported yet, but the cordon – stretching 5 km across both villages – has villagers on edge. In Challiyari, where 200 families huddle close to the zero line, auto-rickshaw driver Mohan Lal, 52, a local Sikh, peered out from his porch as jawans combed the nullahs: “We heard the hum, like angry bees. Last monsoon, drones brought fake notes; now, with floods fresh (our bridge washed out in August), we can’t take more hits.” Over in Chamliyal, Muslim women like Sunita Devi, 45, gathered at the village well by 10 AM, sharing rotis with patrolling troops: “Our kids play here; one wrong drop, and it’s chaos. But the BSF shares our chai – they’re family.”
Samba’s no stranger to these aerial pokes – 15 drone incursions this year alone, up from 10 in 2024, per BSF logs. The Ghagwal and Ramgarh sectors, hugging the International Border, have seen spikes tied to PoK unrest (nine dead in protests last week over 38 demands). Yesterday’s SIA raids in Rajouri, nabbing overground workers, hint at a pattern: drones as scouts for bigger plays. For Jammu’s border belt – where August floods stole 150 lives and wrecked 4,000 homes – this stirs old fears. Apple growers in nearby Suchetgarh, 300 families strong, paused harvests today, worried about tainted markets. “Our fruits feed the nation; drones taint our peace,” sighed trader Rafiq Ahmed, 50, at a 11 AM huddle.
By midday, the search wrapped initial sweeps with no finds, but BSF ramped up jammers and night vision – ops run till dusk. DIG BSF Jammu Range, Sunil Kumar, at a 12 PM update: “Vigilance is our shield; villagers’ tips are gold.”