Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan) [India], March 24 (ANI): A balloon bearing the inscription 'PIA' was discovered in a farmer's field in Joiyawali village, falling under the jurisdiction of Jaitsar Police Station in Sri Ganganagar. The balloon has been secured, and relevant authorities have been informed for further investigation, officials said.

'A Pakistani balloon, bearing the inscription 'PIA', was discovered in a field near Johiyawali village, falling under the jurisdiction of the Jaitsar Police Station in Sri Ganganagar. The balloon has been secured at the concerned police station, and the relevant agencies have been contacted. Further action is currently underway,' Sri Ganganagar SP Hari Shankar told ANI.

The balloon was spotted by farmer Manpreet Singh in the field in village 11 Joiyawali while attending to his irrigation turn. He noticed the inflated balloon near the embankment of his field, attached to a three-foot-long string, and immediately alerted the police.

Subsequently, Jaitsar Police personnel arrived at the site to investigate, while the Intelligence Department has also been apprised of the situation.

Authorities are working to determine the balloon's origin and whether it carries any additional suspicious materials. It is suspected that the balloon may have drifted from Pakistan during recent Eid festivities.

Balloons inscribed with 'PIA' have frequently been found in fields across this region in the past. Earlier, shepherds discovered a similar balloon in village 7 LC.

Earlier in January, Pakistani drones were spotted in the Samba district, Jammu and Kashmir, along the Line of Control in the Naushera-Rajouri sector. The Indian Army responded with counter-unmanned aerial systems measures, forcing the drones to return, according to Defence sources. Local witnesses reported extensive firing in the areas of Jangarh and Kalal around 7:28 pm, praising the prompt action of the Indian Army.

The development comes days after a joint operation by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Jammu and Kashmir Police in the border village of Paloora, Samba district, led to the recovery of a consignment of arms and ammunition. The seizure included a made-in-China 9mm pistol with two magazines, a Glock 9mm pistol with one magazine, a Chinese hand grenade marked SPL HGR 84, and sixteen live 9mm rounds. (ANI)