ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI – In another dramatic escalation that experts say could be another attempt to stoke conflict, Indian authorities claimed on Sunday that Pakistani drones violated Indian airspace over Samba, Rajouri, and Poonch districts.
Residents in affected areas reported hearing heavy gunfire, but no confirmed evidence surfaced that drones actually crossed the border or carried weapons. A Rajouri local said, “We don’t know if the drones were even real, but the army fired heavily anyway.”
The accusations come shortly after Indian forces recovered weapons in Samba, allegedly dropped by Pakistan via drones. Critics argue this could be staged narrative to divert attention from internal unrest and pressure Pakistan diplomatically.
This is not first time accusations have sparked cross-border tension. Last year’s May clashes, following India’s unverified claims after the Pulwama attack, brought nuclear-armed neighbors dangerously close to war. Analysts warn that repeating such narratives could destabilize the region and undermine ongoing peace efforts.
Neither Pakistan nor any independent observers have verified drone incident, leading to concerns that India may be using “drone threats” as a pretext to escalate militarization along the Line of Control.
In May 2025, tensions between Pakistan and India escalated sharply after militant attack in Pahalgam, Indian-occupied Kashmir, killed 26 civilians. Delhi falsely blamed Pakistan for supporting the attackers, though Islamabad denied any involvement, and no independent verification was provided.
Within days, Modi government started cross-border missile and drone strikes on locations in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, claiming they targeted terrorist infrastructure. The strikes, some of the most intense in years, caused casualties and heightened fears of full-scale conflict.
India’s response was disproportionate and possibly a pretext to escalate tensions, since clear evidence linking Pakistan to the Pahalgam attack was never made public. Pakistan rejected the accusations, claimed civilian areas were hit, and accused India of aggression. After 48-hours, a ceasefire was brokered with international diplomatic intervention, but the episode has been termed by analysts as a case where India may have used unverified claims to justify military action, raising questions about its role in destabilizing regional peace.
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