'Indian spy drone' downed over Kashmir, says Pakistan military

The two countries have been on high alert since last February, when India launched an air strike inside Pakistan

The Pakistan military said the drone crossed the Line of Control by 600 metres. AP

Pakistan has shot down a small Indian spy drone that flew into the country’s airspace on Thursday in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir, the military said.

The army said Pakistani troops downed the drone when it “intruded 600 metres inside Pakistan’s territory” for surveillance along the Line of Control that divides the Pakistani- and Indian-controlled portions of Kashmir.

The military released a picture of what it said was wreckage of the drone.

There was no immediate comment from India.

Kashmir is split between Pakistan and India, both of which claim the territory in its entirety. They have fought two wars over it since their independence from British rule in 1947.

The military has been on high alert since last February, when India launched an air strike inside Pakistan, saying it targeted militants responsible for a suicide bombing that killed 40 Indian troops in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir.

Pakistan at the time retaliated and said it shot down two Indian jets. One Indian pilot was captured and later released.