India’s long-term credibility, both domestically and internationally, will depend not merely on asserting the existence of cross-border terrorism

On the winter morning of January 9, 2026, an arms consignment dropped by a drone from Pakistani Punjab was recovered from a forward area near the International Border (IB) in Ghagwal area in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). The cache included two pistols, three magazines, 16 rounds, and a grenade. A packet wrapped in yellow tape was found on a stream bank and later opened with the assistance of a bomb disposal squad. The incident highlighted Samba’s continuing vulnerability to cross-border drone activity and the expanding use of unmanned aerial routes for arms smuggling.

The pattern did not remain confined to a single incident. On March 10, Security Forces launched fresh search operations after suspicious drone movement was reported during the intervening night of March 9 and 10 in adjoining areas along the International Border in Samba district. Officials stated that the suspected drone had originated from Pakistan, prompting coordinated operations by the Police and the Border Security Force (BSF) to check for possible airdropping of weapons or narcotics. Taken together, these recurring incidents underscore the evolving nature of cross-border tactics, with drones increasingly emerging as a preferred mechanism for sustaining militant logistics, narcotics trafficking and arms supply networks without requiring direct physical infiltration across the border.

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One year after Operation Sindoor: The threat landscape has not disappeared