Pakistani UAV shot down near international border in Kutch

Bhuj:On a day when the Indian Air Forces attacked terror camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir to avenge the Pulwama terror attack, a suspected Pakistani unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV/Drone) was also reportedly targeted and gunned down by the IAF close to an air force base in bordering Kutch district of Gujarat.

However, there were no official words about it so far and the Defence Spokesperson of Gujarat Colonel Sombit Ghosh said that he was not aware of any such incident and an official statement would be issued if such a thing had happened.

According to news agency ANI quoting sources: A Pakistani drone on a reconnaissance mission was shot down early this morning in Kutch area of Gujarat by the Indian Army using Israeli Spyder air defence missile system.

Villagers of Nundhatad said that the suspicious UAV was seen close to the an Air force unit base at Mothala and it crashed on the land after a flash like light accompanied by two strong explosion like sounds. Ex-Sarpanch of the village Pravin Bhanushali said that at around 0615 am this morning after hearing the explosions when he and other villagers rushed to the outskirts area there were pieces of something including cameras and battery were scattered. IAF, Military and police later cordoned off the area. He heard from some of the securitymen there that it was a camera fitted flying device (UAV/drone) which was blown off by the IAF.

The Bhanana Air force base in Naliya is around 30 km from the place where the suspicious UAV came down while the small IAF base in Mothala was around a km from it.

Villager Govind Bhaunshali said that there was no permission to fly a drone or UAV in the area which was around 60 km from Pakistan border and quite sensitive from security point of view.

It is suspected that it was a drone of Pakistan which was attempting to get pictures etc of security installations. It was noticed by the radar of IAF in Naliya.