Drone intrusions across border from Pakistan increased compared to 2021

This year, drone intrusions at the Indo-Pak border have virtually doubled as terrorist organisations and drug traffickers operating from Pakistan have stepped up their use to transport weapons and drugs.

Data compiled by the Border Security Force (BSF) revealed that 107 drone sightings were reported in the first seven months of this year, a slight increase from 2021. 93 out of the drones’ intrusions were detected in Punjab. Additionally, Jammu reported 14 drone intrusions.

A BSF officer said, "There are still five months left in this year and activity to smuggle arms and explosives through various routes usually increase towards winters. Also, these are just those drones which our jawans could hear, notice, or locals informed us about. It is very difficult to intercept, stall and deactivate all the drones at such a vast border," said a Hindustan Times report.

A senior official stated that terrorist groups like LeT and its allies in Jammu and Kashmir sent payloads through Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Gurdaspur in Punjab continuously by usingChinese drones to deliver weapons and IEDs in the past two years. Furthermore, Lashkar-e-Taiba outfit the Resistance Front (TRF) attacked Jammu Air Force Station with two drones, using unnamed aerial vehicles (UAV) that dropped two IEDs weighing between 3kg and 5 kg each.

With the assistance of local police, BSF has attempted to shoot down several drones and has also implemented a number of technologies, such as "Anti-Drone Guns", to obstruct the drones’ radio and GPS signals and compel them to land.

According to experts, Pakistan-based groups use drones to avoid capture of men and reduce costs.

Experts believe that drones are replacing human mules and helping in terrorist infiltration; they are easy to use from a covered location or building on the other side of the border.

(With inputs from agencies)