Drone shot along Punjab border last year had ‘footprints’ in China, Pakistan: BSF

The drone that was shot down by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the India-Pakistan International Border in Punjab last year had "traces" and was flying in China and Pakistan, a BSF spokesman said on Wednesday, citing a forensic analysis report.

The quadcopter was shot down on 25 December 2022 near Rajatal border crossing in Amritsar district of Punjab.

Forensic analysis of the drone found that it flew in Fengxian District, Shanghai, China on 11/06/2022 and was later flown 28 times from 24/09/2022 to 25/12/2022 "within" Khanewal District in Punjab, Pakistan, the spokeswoman said. .

An FIR on the illegal activity of the drone and its firing on the Indian side was lodged by the Border Security Force (BSF) with the Amritsar district police last year, he said. The BSF, which is tasked with guarding the India-Pakistan border, has set up a forensic analysis laboratory for drones at a camp in the state capital.

BSF shot down a total of 22 drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) coming from Pakistan last year. All these shootings took place along the International Border (IB) in Punjab.

According to official data, the number of drone sightings along the 2,289 km long India-Pakistan IB running along Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat has increased from 77 sightings in 2020 to 104 in 2021 and more than 311 sightings during last year.

Almost 75 percent of these sightings were made in Punjab, where drones were largely used by the other side to push and drop drugs and weapons.