There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, the second such strike on Abha airport in the last 24 hours. The earlier attack, blamed on Yemen's Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels, scattered shrapnel across the tarmac but caused no casualties.
The officials said at least three explosions took place in the Al-Anad Air Base in the southern province of Lahj, which is held by the internationally recognized government. More than two dozen troops were wounded.
The police chief said that despite the ceasefire agreement along the Line of Control and the International Border since February this year, some "state actors" have been helping Pakistan-based terror groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir, by trying to maintain their supply chain of arms, ammunition and cash.
Earlier on July 16, a drone that was seen operating around the Jammu Air Base was picked up by the radars of the anti-drone system deployed by the National Security Guard (NSG) there.
As per the alert, terror groups may use explosive-laden drones to carry out attacks in Delhi before August 15 to disrupt Independence Day celebrations.
Director General of Police Dilbag Singh said on Friday that the time has come to defeat and reject terrorism to usher in peace and development in the Union Territory.
India has raised the issue with Islamabad over the security breach, lodging its strong protest over the incident.
Two IAF personnel deployed at the Jammu airbase had heard the sound of drones entering the airbase late in the night after 1.30 am.
In an address at a think-tank, Gen Naravane said the security establishment is well aware of the challenges and certain measures have already been put in place to deal with them.
As per the information available, suspected drones movement was spotted in Kharian area of Miran Sahib, Kaluchak area of Jammu, and Kunjwani area of the city.
Days after a first-of-its-kind drone attack on Air Force base in Jammu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday afternoon to discuss security and policy-related issues
The meeting was attended by Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and NSA Ajit Doval.
Security has been strengthened around vital installations across Kashmir in view of the threat posed by possible drone attacks.
Earlier on Sunday, two unmanned aerial vehicles targetted an IAF station in Jammu, indicating the possible use of a cocktail of chemicals including RDX in the first of its kind incident in the country.
The drones used in the blast at Jammu Indian Air Force (IAF) station were controlled from across the border, sources said.
The investigation into the attack on the Jammu air force station has been handed over to the NIA, a Home Ministry spokesperson said
Three suspected drones were spotted again at three different locations in Jammu on the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday.
An alert has been sounded in Punjab's border district of Pathankot on Sunday after two explosives-laden drones crashed into the high-security Indian Air Force station at Jammu airport.
Yemen's Houthi militia said they launched bomb-laden drone attacks towards the Jizan Airport and King Khalid Airbase in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, has said that all options, including a military response, were open after the September 14 drone attacks on the Kingdom's two oil facilities, which it has blamed on Iran.
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