New Delhi"It is further ordered that persons already having the drone cameras/similar kind of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles in their possession shall ground the same in the local police station under proper receipt," Ajaz said in the order. It also said that government departments using drones for mapping, surveys and surveillance in "agricultural, environment conservation and disaster mitigation" sectors will have to inform the local police before undertaking any such activity in the public interest. "Any violation of this order shall attract punitive action as warranted under relevant laws," he said. Earlier this week, the border district of Rajouri and Kathua issued similar orders and banned the operation of drones and low flying objects in their territories.

On Sunday, two explosions were reported from the Indian Air Force station in Jammu within minutes of each in an unprecedented unmanned attack, injuring two security personnel and damaging a building. Security forces thwarted a similar attack within 24 hours as they opened fire on unidentified drones hovering over the Kaluchak military base in Jammu. Several such sightings have reported over military bases in the region.

Initial investigations into Sunday’s attack have pointed to the role of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in the drone strike at a Jammu air force station. This is the first time that drones are being used in an attack on a major defence installation in the country, according to experts. And on Thursday, Indian Army chief General ManojMukundNaravane said the easy availability of drones has allowed both state and non-state actors to use them and building them was similar to a “DIY project that could be tackled at home”.