10-15 drone sightings daily along Pakistan border after Article 370 repeal: Officials

NEW DELHI: At least 10-15 drones were sighted daily by security forces at Indian bases along the Pakistan border in the first few months after revocation of Article 370 provisions in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.

This frequency has now reduced to about 1-2 sightings in a month along the border areas of Punjab and Jammu, they said.

This was suspected to be a surveillance exercise from across the border.


Between August 5 and October, 2019, at least 10-15 drones were sighted daily by security agencies like the Border Security Force (BSF) besides local police and others in frontier areas.

The BSF and the state police have been ordered to shoot these rogue drones and bring them down as part of an immediate counter-action plan, the officials added.

"However, shooting or bringing down a drone requires some specific weapons and training that is not available to these agencies as of now.

"So, the existing instruction is whenever possible and if within range, take aim at them and bring them down," a senior officer in the security establishment said.

Some drone sightings also took place in border areas along Gujarat in the past, they said.

These agencies are also concerned over the activities of some advanced variety of drones which are difficult to intercept, they said.

There are essentially three types of drones like the ones controlled by a remote on the ground, GPS fed and the latest is a pre-fed information laden drone that executes its task and is difficult to intercept and kill.

The Union home ministry and other central agencies are aware of these developments and anti-drone technology and operating protocols is a work under progress, they said.

Officials said the drones intercepted till now by the BSF and other agencies are largely 'surveillance birds' while few were found to be used to smuggle narcotics.