The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken over the probe into the Jammu airport attack, triggered by drones, that happened on June 27.
On June 27, two bombs were dropped at the Indian Air Force (IAF) airbase, injuring two personnel. The first explosion happened at around 1.40 am followed by another six minutes later.
Officials said that the first blast had ripped through the roof of a single-storey building at the high security technical area of the airport. The second blast happened in an open area.
The dual-use airport belongs to the Indian Air Force but is also used for commercial flight operations. It is located on the outskirts of Jammu city.
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Pakistan’s role under scanner
Earlier, News18 had reported that Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) may have been behind the attack, adding that the terror organisation might also have received support from another entity as the attack “could not happen without the active involvement of the Pakistani Army, or ISI”.
Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbag Singh had also said that another major strike had been averted when a person, suspected to be affiliated to another Pakistan-based terror outfit, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), was arrested along with an improvised explosive device (IED) weighing around 6 kilogram in Jammu. This came at a time when officials were investigating the drone attack at the airbase.
Police registered an FIR under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Persons from the NIA told CNN-News18 that the initial investigation into the incident has suggested that the drones came from across the border. It was not immediately clear from where the drones had taken off and investigations were on to ascertain their flight path, the report added citing NIA officials.
The Hindustan Times reported on June 28 citing an unnamed senior security official that the air traffic control (ATC) tower was being targeted with one drone and the other was aiming at either a parked IAF helicopter or the radar.
The ceasefire between India and Pakistan has largely been maintained along the Line of Control (LoC) since February. However, Pakistan Rangers had reportedly violated the ceasefire along the international borders in Ramgarh sector of Samba, Jammu and Kashmir on May 3. India’s Border Security Force (BSF) said it retaliated to the violation. No loss of life was reported.
Read: First-ever drone attack in India marks dangerous new turning point in Kashmir terror
