GURDASPUR: In two separate incidents, Border Security Force (BSF) confiscated a Pakistani boat as it entered Indian territory, while a drone from Pakistan flew back when challenged after it entered Indian airspace.
This happened almost twenty days after the visit of senior BSF officials to the forward bases all along the India-Pakistan international border in Punjab.
While talking to TOI on Thursday, Deputy Inspector General (DIG), BSF, Gurdaspur sector Prabhakar Joshi informed that BSF troops posted near Shahpur Border Outpost (BoP) near Ajnala heard the humming of an unmanned flying object at around 12.05am on Thursday. The BSF personals fired thrice aiming towards the flying object that had entered the Indian airspace, following which it fled back to Pakistan. The drone’s blinking lights were clearly seen as it flew back.
Earlier on October 5, BSF spotted three drones entering the Indian airspace in the Gurdaspur sector. Two drones were spotted simultaneously in the area of responsibility of Bohar Vadala and Kashyam Barman Border Outposts, while another drone was sighted in the area of Chauntra BoP.
Following the incident, top BSF commanders rushed to the forward areas along the international border with Pakistan in Punjab for a two-day review of the forward bases and issue operational guidelines even as the force didn’t have any anti-drone mechanism installed on the border.
The BSF officials who visited the border areas included BSF additional director general (Western Command) N S Jamwal, inspector general, Punjab Frontier, Sonali Mishra along with Prabhakar Joshi.
Joshi informed that on Wednesday afternoon, BSF personals confiscated a Pakistani boat that had ‘drifted’ inside India via Tarnha nullah falling in the area of Dhinda BoP in the Gurdaspur sector.
“In both the cases we carried out a search after the incidents but didn’t find anything objectionable,” said the DIG.
However, sources didn’t rule out the possibility of an infiltration bid by Pak’s ISI-backed terrorist outfits.
“The international border violation incidents both by surface and air have increased ever since Pakistan backed Taliban took control of Afghanistan and with festival season round the corner, our forces are on extra vigil to thwart any cross border attempts,” said a BSF officer on condition of anonimity.
The DIG informed that the boat was in their possession and a case had been registered with Narot Jaimal Singh police station.