Pigeon detained after threatening Indian Prime Minister

Indian officials have taken a pigeon into custody after it was found carrying a threatening note addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi near the country's heavily militarised border with Pakistan.

"We took it into custody last evening," police inspector Rakesh Kumar toldAFP.

He added the message referenced the 1971 conflict between India and Pakistan: "The Border Security Force found it with a note in Urdu saying something like, 'Modi, we're not the same people from 1971. Now each and every child is ready to fight against India.'"

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It is believed to have been signed by the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba, reports Sky News.

It is unclear what will now happen to the pigeon.

This is not the first case of avian warfare between the two nations - last year, Indian police seized and searched a bird they suspected Pakistan was using for espionage, fearing it was carrying spy equipment.

In 2013, Indian security forces found a dead falcon fitted with a small camera and in 2010, another pigeon was detained over spying fears, says the Guardian.

The areas of Punjab and Kashmir have been a flashpoint in recent months with militants from both sides launching attacks.

Tensions have reached boiling point in the last week after an Indian military operation hit militants across the border without warning – a move said to have infuriated the Pakistani government.