BSF intercepts fifth Pakistani drone in last four days at International Border in Punjab

Jalandhar: The Border Security Force intercepted a fifth Pakistani drone in the last four days that intruded into India from along the International Border in Punjab to drop a drugs consignment, officials said on Monday.

The latest drone was "downed" in the Amritsar sector. The Border Security Force (BSF) has recovered the large black-coloured drone with a payload of suspected narcotics attached beneath it, they said.

The quantity and quality of the consignment is being ascertained, the officials added.

This is the fifth reported interception of a "rogue" unmanned aerial vehicle along the Punjab border since May 19.

A few more instances of troops picking up the buzzing sound of a drone were reported over the last four days but nothing more could be established, the officials said.

The BSF troops shot down two drones and intercepted a third along the front on Friday (May 19). A BSF spokesperson had said the third drone fell into Pakistani territory and could not be recovered.

A drone that "violated Indian airspace on Saturday night (May 20) was intercepted by firing in the jurisdiction of the Amritsar sector" and the force recovered 3.3 kilogrammes of suspected narcotics that was slung under it.

Punjab shares an over 500-kilometre-long front with Pakistan that is guarded by the BSF and drones and unmanned aerial vehicles taking flight from that country into India with drugs and arms and ammunition payloads have become a matter of concern for security agencies over the last three-four years.