Drone along border returns to Pakistan after BSF firing

TARN TARAN : A drone was spotted flying near a border village of Tarn Taran district on Monday night, prompting the Border Security Force (BSF) to open fire.

The incident took place at 8.30pm when the drone entered from Pakistan to Gajal village, 500 metres in Indian territory from the barbed wire fencing at the border. According to villagers, the drone flew on the outskirts of the village for a few minutes. “Soon after noticing it, BSF personnel opened fire following which the drone returned towards Pakistan,” said Kuldeep Singh, a villager.

A BSF official of the 116 Battalion said, “Light emitting objects were seen, apparently coming from the Pakistan side. Our troops immediately opened around 100 shots. A search operation is still on in the area.”

The drone was spotted near border outpost number 171.

The sighting came three days after Punjab Police busted a narco-terror module by seizing two sophisticated China-made drones and arresting an army jawan and two smugglers of weapons and narcotics.

The seizure included drone batteries, custom-made drone containers, two walkie-talkie sets, ₹6.22 lakh, believed to be proceeds of drugs, and a magazine of an INSAS rifle.

In September 2019, four operatives of the Khalistan Zindabad Force were arrested from a village in Tarn Taran. The police had seized five AK-47 rifles, 16 magazines and 472 rounds of ammunition, four Chinese made pistols along with eight magazines and 72 rounds of ammunition, nine hand grenades, and five satellite phones from them. As per the police, the AK-47 assault rifles too had been smuggled from Pakistan using drones.