Army shoots down Pak drones in Raj
BIKANER:Indian forces shot down two Pakistani drones on Saturday as they tried to enter Indian air space in Sriganganagar of Rajasthan, according to officials with knowledge of the matter.
A top defence officer said on condition of anonymity that two drones were shot down while flying over the India-Pakistan international border and trying to enter Indian air space. While one incident was reported early on Saturday, the other drone was shot down around 7.30pm, the official added. Both drones were shot down by ground troops in the area, the official said.
Another official said it was the third abortive attempt by Pakistan to send a secret service drone to India in recent days.
The Indian Air Force shot down a Pakistani military drone using an air-to-air missile on March 4 in the Bikaner sector of the India-Pakistan border. On February 27, a Pakistani drone was targeted by Indian defence forces, again in the Bikaner sector, while trying to enter Indian air space. Meanwhile, gunshots from across the international border near Hindumalkot border outpost of Sriganganagar district sparked a scare in the area.
Locals heard heavy gunfire and loud blasts from across the border around 5am on Saturday. The firing created panic among people residing near the Madera, Koni, Renuka and Hindumalkot border outposts.
A Border Security Force officer, who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to speak to the press, said Pakistani Rangers and army units were functioning very close to the international border and the BSF had conveyed its concern about the resulting panic among locals to its Pakistani counterpart.