Punjab Newsline | Amritsar
The mystery behind the drone sightings near Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport in Amritsar on Sunday night has been resolved, with police confirming that the drones were being operated during a sports tournament and were not linked to any suspicious activity.
Despite the clarification, authorities have launched an investigation as drone operations are prohibited within an 8-kilometre radius of the airport. Questions are being raised over how the drones came close to the runway and entered a sensitive airspace zone.
The incident triggered a major security alert on Sunday night after drone-like objects were spotted in the airport's operational area around 10 pm. The objects reportedly hovered over the runway and nearby sensitive locations, prompting Air Traffic Control (ATC) to issue an immediate alert.
As a precautionary measure, the landing of seven incoming flights was suspended and several flight routes were altered. Given Amritsar Airport’s proximity to the India-Pakistan international border, the sightings were initially treated as a serious security concern.
Following the alert, personnel from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Punjab Police and other security agencies were deployed, and security arrangements in and around the airport were intensified.
Authorities are now investigating the violation of drone restrictions and examining how the devices were allowed to operate so close to the airport's flight path.
