An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) of Pakistan was shot down by the Indian Air Force (IAF) near the International Border over Bikaner in Rajasthan on Monday, defence sources said.

“An aerial intrusion was detected around 11.30 a.m. from across the International Border over Bikaner. Su-30MKIs [fighter jets] were scrambled, and the Pakistani UAV was shot down with an air-to-air missile,” a defence source said.

The UAV fell on the other side of the border, sources said.

Both India and Pakistan routinely operate UAVs along the border for surveillance.

High alert

The IAF has been on high operational alert since the air strike on a terrorist training camp in Balakot in Pakistan last Tuesday.

The Pakistani drone was detected by a ground-based radar station and minutes later one of the Sukhoi-30 jets deployed in the area to keep an eye on Indian airspace shot it down, the sources said.

It was the second unsuccessful attempt by Pakistan to send a drone inside India in the past six days. A drone was shot down on February 27 along the border in Kutch.

(With inputs from PTI)