NEW DELHI: Indian security forces launched an investigation on Sunday into a drone strike which police say was a “terror attack” on the country’s air force base in Kashmir.
Two explosive-laden drones hit and damaged the Indian Air Force (IAF) station in Jammu city on Sunday morning. Local media reports said the explosions were so loud that they could be heard over one kilometer away.
Jammu and surrounding areas have been put on high alert.
“The attack at the IAF station in Jammu is a terror attack,” Jammu and Kashmir Police director general Dilbag Singh told reporters as India’s counterterrorism agency, the National Investigation Agency (NIA), started searching the site.
“Police have registered an FIR (First Information Report) and investigation is on,” Singh said.
“Use of drones with payload in both the blasts at Jammu airfield suspected to drop the explosive material,” he said, adding that the drones were operated from a site near the scene of the attack.
IAF said the explosions occurred in the technical area of its station and one of them damaged the roof of the station’s building.
“Two low intensity explosions were reported early Sunday morning in the technical area of Jammu Air Force Station,” IAF said in a Twitter post. “One caused minor damage to the roof of a building while the other exploded in an open area. There was no damage to any equipment. Investigation is in progress along with civil agencies.”
While early media reports suggested two IAF personnel have been injured, Defense Ministry spokesperson Lt. Col. Devender Anand told reporters in Jammu there were no casualties.
“There is no injury to any personnel or any damage to any equipment,” he said. “Investigation is on and further details are awaited.”
The Jammu air base is a dual use facility under IAF control. It also operates passenger flights.
“Jammu is not a big air base, it has only helicopters, it is located just 15 kilometers away from the Line of Control that divides India and Pakistan,” Former Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak told Arab News.
He added it was possible the drones were launched from Indian territory.
“The possibility is that somebody from our side, maybe a person from across, but he has come over and launched his drones from the Indian territory,” Kak said. “There is an uncertainty, fluidity in Kashmir today whether that has caused drone attack I cannot say right now.”