Satellite Phone Signal Triggers High Alert In J&K’s Samba, Massive Search Operation Underway
Jammu: Security agencies have launched an extensive search operation in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district after a suspected foreign-origin satellite communication signal was detected in a remote forested area near Sumb.
According to officials, an Iridium satellite communication signal was detected around 11:15 am in the Sumb area of the Samba sector. The signal reportedly disappeared soon after, prompting security forces to launch a large-scale cordon and search operation.
Teams from the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) quickly moved into the area and surrounded the hilly terrain, which is covered by dense forests.
Drones are being used to conduct aerial surveillance of the surrounding forests and hillocks, while security has been increased on roads and routes leading towards Sumb. The area is strategically important as it lies along the Basantar River and provides access towards the International Border with Pakistan.
Security Forces Search Forest Area
The search operation is being led by SOG DSP Sakshi Sharma and Samba SHO Pushpinder Singh Chib, along with Army personnel and other security agencies.
Officials said the satellite phone has not transmitted any further signal and no satellite communication device or other suspicious material had been recovered despite several hours of searching.
Satellite phones such as those operating on the Iridium network are also used by Indian security forces because they provide communication in remote and mountainous areas where conventional mobile networks may not work.
However, given the location and the area’s proximity to the international border, security agencies are examining whether the signal could have been associated with someone maintaining contact with handlers across the border.
Officials said they have not ruled out various possibilities, including the presence of a terrorist, an over-ground worker or a suspected Pakistani intelligence operative. At this stage, however, there is no confirmation that any such person is present in the area.
Samba Sector Under Close Watch
Security agencies believe satellite communication devices could potentially be used by militants to establish contact with handlers before being switched off, making subsequent tracking difficult.
The Samba sector has previously been identified as a strategically sensitive area because of its proximity to the international border and its history as a possible infiltration route.
This is also not the first time a satellite phone signal has triggered a security response in the region. In January 2024, authorities detected a Thuraya satellite phone signal in the area, leading to a similar search operation.
For now, security personnel continue to comb the forested and hilly terrain as agencies work to determine the source of the latest signal and whether it poses any security threat.
News Source : Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.
