Mendhar/Jammu

Army troops opened fire at a Pakistani drone after it intruded into Indian territory along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district, officials said on Tuesday.

The drone, however, returned to Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) after briefly hovering over several forward Indian positions in the Balakote area of the Mendhar sector late Monday night.

According to officials, the unmanned aerial vehicle was detected over forward posts, prompting an immediate response from Army personnel stationed in the area.

Indian troops fired approximately nine rounds at the drone in an attempt to neutralise the threat. However, the drone could not be brought down as it was flying at a considerable altitude, officials said.

Following the incident, security forces launched a search operation early Tuesday morning to determine whether the drone had dropped any suspicious material during its brief incursion into Indian territory.

The operation continued for several hours, with Army and security personnel conducting an extensive combing exercise in and around the affected area.

"Nothing suspicious was recovered during the search operation," officials said, adding that the area has been kept under close surveillance.

The latest incident comes amid heightened vigilance along the LoC, where security agencies remain alert to cross-border attempts involving drones for surveillance, smuggling of weapons, narcotics, or other hostile activities.

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Authorities said monitoring along the border has been intensified following the intrusion.