The meeting began at 4 pm today (File)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh today for a briefing on the unprecedented drone attack at the Jammu air base on Sunday, and the events that followed, sources indicated. "Discussions were held on futuristic challenges in the defence sector and equipping our forces with modern equipment," sources in the government told NDTV. "Aspects relating to involving more youth, start-ups and strategic community were discussed," they added after the two-hour meeting.
Shortly after midnight on Sunday, two blasts had taken place at the Air Force base at the Jammu Airport, in which a building was damaged and two Indian Air Force personnel suffered minor injuries.
The high security airport is located around 14 km from the border with Pakistan. Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh said Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba is suspected of involvement in the attack.
Mr Singh said Lashkar could also be behind the drones spotted near the Kaluchak military facility on Monday.
Yesterday, the army said a major threat was averted when the troops spotted two drones near the military station in Jammu. They flew away after the troops opened fire at them.
Suspicion about a Lashkar link came following the arrest of a suspected operative of the group from Banihal. The 22-year-old, carrying an explosive device weighing 4 kg, was arrested hours after Sunday's blasts.
Over the last two years, reports from Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir suggested that Pakistan was using drones to make weapons drop.
Two such instances have been recorded in Jammu and two in Punjab.
Sundays attack took place shortly before Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General MM Naravane's scheduled visit to Ladakh to review India's operational readiness in the backdrop of the ongoing stand-off with China.
The attacks shattered the relative stability at the border, where a drop in infiltration was observed amid the Covid pandemic. The government said it has been considering the restart of the political process in Jammu and Kashmir in view of the security situation.