Military Drones Crossing Border From Pakistan Will Be Shot Down: Army After Weapons Dropped In Punjab

Indian Army issued a stern warning to the neighbouring country stating that it is capable of identifying such devices and any military drone venturing towards Indian side from Pakistan will be "shot down".

Kler said the systems and radars of the Indian armed forces are in place. (Representative Image/ Getty)

Chandigarh: Soon after the media reports revealed that drones are being used to drop weapons from across the border near Punjab, Indian Army issued a stern warning to the neighbouring country stating that it is capable of identifying such devices and any military drone venturing towards Indian side from Pakistan will be "shot down". According to a report by news agency PTI,  South Western Command chief Lt Gen Alok Singh Kler while interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a first-of-a-kind seminar on artificial intelligence, at Hisar Military Station said there was "nothing to worry" at the moment. "At present, the drones that you see being demonstrated at the event here, their capacity for carriage is very low. And, what we are hearing, the reports coming about drone being used across the border, their capacity is (also) very small," Kler said. A recent probe by Punjab police stated that GPS-fitted drones capable of lifting up to 10 kg flew in from Pakistan seven to eight times to airdrop the cache of arms, ammunition and fake currency seized in Punjab's Tarn Taran district. Kler said the systems and radars of the Indian armed forces are in place. Another report by news agency IANS said that the weapons belonged to Pakistan-based Khalistani terror groups. The sorties, first of their kind in the state, were made between September 9 and 16. A terrorist, who has been arrested in this connection, has confessed that he was in touch with another Pakistan-based terrorist on the arms drops, report added. The Punjab Police on Sunday claimed to have busted a terror module of the Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), backed by a group based in Pakistan and Germany. It said the terror group was conspiring to unleash a series of strikes in Punjab and adjoining states. Hisar Military Station is home to the 33rd Armoured Division of the Army. On use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Army, Kler said, "From information to intelligence, direct destruction, for all such military capabilities, AI is going to be used". "Initially, it will be for constructive use, helping the commander take his decision. Taking an information and converting into intelligence, that is possibly the first usage of AI for Army in a constructive manner," PTI quoted him as saying. Kler, however, added that soon army will have to take into account the disruptive use of artificial intelligence. A cache of arms, including five AK-47 rifles, and other material was also seized in the raid in border Tarn Taran district. Given the international links and the ramifications of the conspiracy, Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has decided to hand over further investigations in the case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to ensure that the entire conspiracy is fully and expeditiously unraveled. He also sought Union Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention. "Recent incidents of Pakistan-origin drones dropping consignments of arms & ammunition is a new and serious dimension on Pakistan's sinister designs in aftermath of the abrogation of Article 370. Request @AmitShah ji to ensure that this drone problem is handled at the earliest," Singh said in a series of tweets. Altogether, five AK-47 rifles, along with 16 magazines and 472 rounds of ammunition, four Chinese made .30 bore pistols, along with magazines and 72 rounds of ammunition, nine hand grenades, five Thuraya satellite phones and Rs 10 lakh in fake Indian currency notes have been recovered from them, Police informed. (With inputs from agencies)