Satellite Phone Signal Triggers High Alert In J&K's Samba

A suspected foreign-origin satellite communication signal detected in the remote forest belt of Sumb in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district has triggered a high alert, with security forces launching a massive cordon and search operation in the area.

Security agencies detected the signal of an Iridium satellite communication device at around 11:15 am in the Sumb area of the Samba sector, according to official sources.

Soon after the signal was intercepted, teams of the Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police and the Special Operations Group (SOG) moved into the area and cordoned off the hilly stretch, which is surrounded by dense forest cover.

The device has since gone off the air, and no further signal has been detected.

Drones have been deployed for aerial surveillance of the forest and surrounding hillocks. Security has also been stepped up along routes leading to Sumb, which lies along the Basantar river and provides access towards the International Border with Pakistan.

The operation is being led by SOG DSP Sakshi Sharma and Samba SHO Pushpinder Singh Chib, along with Army personnel and other security agencies.

Iridium satellite phones are also used by Indian security forces to maintain communication in remote and mountainous areas. However, security agencies are examining the possibility that the intercepted device could have been used by someone with links to cross-border handlers.

“The search is on for the last several hours, but no satellite set or other suspicious material was recovered so far,” sources said.

They added that the possibility of a terrorist, an over-ground worker or a Pakistani spy being present in the area cannot yet be ruled out.

Security agencies suspect that terrorists may switch off satellite communication devices after establishing contact with handlers across the border, making it difficult for forces to track their movements.

The search operation is continuing, with security personnel combing the forested and hilly terrain.

The Samba sector is considered strategically sensitive because it has previously been used as an infiltration route by terrorists.

Security agencies have also previously detected satellite communication devices in the area.

In January 2024, the detection of a Thuraya satellite phone in the same region triggered a security alert and a search operation.