Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Gurdaspur, October 7
The border police districts of Gurdaspur, Batala and Pathankot have upped their ante keeping in view the increasing regularity of Pakistan-propelled drones being sighted near the International Border (IB).
Fully prepared
Sometimes Pakistan sends drones for reconnaissance purposes and sometimes to drop arms and ammunition. We are well prepared to handle the situation in both cases. — Surinder Pal Singh Parmar, IG (border)
Committee formed
Pathankot Senior Superintendent of Police Surendra Lamba said he had formed a village defence committee to ensure better coordination with the police force. Tuesday’s sightings were the 16th in this calendar year in the Gurdaspur sector.
Gurdaspur SSP Nanak Singh said two drones were sighted on Tuesday night over Dorangla and Kalanaur townships. In all, BSF sources claimed there were three violations of the Indian air space on Tuesday night. Apart from the double drone sighting made in Gurdaspur district, one such machine was spotted in the BSF area of responsibility which extends till Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts. Before this, the last such sighting was made by the BSF on September 18 in Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur.
A police officer, preferring anonymity, said the flights of these machines, which were controlled by Pakistan officials on their side of the IB, had increased ever since the drone attack on the Jammu Air Force Station in June. Two explosions had rocked the high security technical area on the intervening night of June 26 and 27 following which two air force personnel had sustained injuries. Police officers claim
the central government
had instructed all
border districts of Punjab to keep a strict vigil.
Many shipments of arms and drugs dropped by Pakistani intelligence agencies have been recovered in the past following combing operations launched by the police and the BSF. “These are done with an intention to destabalise the country,” said an officer. Tuesday’s intrusions were followed by visits of BSF officers
to the affected areas.
SSP Nanak Singh said regular alerts were issued by the police force to keep a check and subsequently thwart such intrusions.
IG (Border) Surinder Pal Singh Parmar said the police force was fully active to deal with any sort of a situation. “Sometimes Pakistan sends drones for reconnaissance purposes and sometimes to drop drugs, arms and ammunition. We are well prepared to handle the situation in both cases,” he said.
SSP Pathankot Surendra Lamba said he had formed a village defence committee to ensure better coordination with the police force. Tuesday’s sightings were the 16th in this
calendar year in the
Gurdaspur sector.
Drones sighted, vigil up along border
{$excerpt:n}
