Bikaner (Rajasthan): A balloon from Pakistan was found near the international border in the Bikaner district of Rajasthan on Monday, police said on Tuesday. The balloon, with PIA written on it in English and Urdu, was found in the jurisdiction of the Khajuwala police station.
"Upon receiving information, we along with officials from the security agencies reached the spot and recovered the balloon. The balloon was found in the 24 KYP Dhani area of Khajuwala. The balloon is the shape of an aircraft," a police official said. He said the incident triggered panic among the local residents.
Also read: In a first, India and Pakistan special envoys participate in Western talks with Taliban
"The balloon could have entered India by mistake. The balloon cannot fly so far. But often nefarious attempts are made by Pakistan. This is not the first such instance. Hence, we along with the security agencies are thoroughly investigating the matter," police said. They, however, added no machine was found inside the balloon.
Police said that the international border between India and Pakistan is a sensitive area and hence they are always on alert. In the past too, a balloon with an imprint of 'I love Pakistan' and a Pakistani Flag was found in the fields of a village in Jalandhar in Punjab. Station House Officer Harjinder Singh had said that it seemed to be a prank as a balloon can not fly so far from Pakistan and cops were investigating it.
Also read: Chinese spy balloon gathered information from sensitive US military sites: Report
