What’s new: As many as two drones was spotted crossing the India-Pakistan border in the Kassowal area of Gurdaspur district, Punjab as per officials on November 19, 2022, reported the Business Standard. This adds to the previous number of 215 such illegal drone instances this year. On Saturday night, Border Security Force (BSF) personnel opened fire at the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crossing the border. As per the report, the officials fired at least 96 rounds and used five illumination bombs before the drone “flew back” to Pakistan. Later at 11:46 PM, another drone was spotted in the Channa patan area of Amritsar district. Again, BSF troops fired 10 rounds before the drone flew back. The BSF is conducting search operations for these two UAVs. Why it matters: Cases of illegal drone activity is a persisting issue in Punjab. Even though the Punjab government declared “no fly zones” along the border, the issue persists. In fact, concerns about such drones have extended to nearby areas like Mumbai and parts of Kerala. The incidents point towards the technology’s growing popularity among law enforcement agencies (LEAs) globally, raising national security concerns. Drones may be carrying weapons: So far, the BSF has shot down at least seven drones in Punjab. Between January and June, officials shot down drones in Amritsar, Ferozpur and Abohar. Previously, the BSF told ANI that the drones were being used to transport weapons, explosives and narcotics. The BSF seized various AK series assault rifles, pistols, MP4 carbines, carbine magazines, high…
