Face of Nation : A large number of AK-47 assault rifles and grenades dropped in Amritsar by heavy-lifting drones that came from Pakistan, just across the border, was for terrorists to create trouble in Jammu and Kashmir, sources in the Punjab Police have told.
These flying machines can carry up to 5 kg and they flew fast and low to evade detection, sources said.The drones carried out eight ‘sorties’ in 10 days this month to drop the weapons, including satellite phones, on Indian soil, the sources said, asking not to be identified.
“The drone made around 10 visits to drop the entire consignment on the Indian side and yet remained undetected. The consignment contained five satellite phones, which hints that the delivery was meant for Jammu and Kashmir since mobile internet connection is still snapped in the valley,” said a senior police officer, asking not to be identified.
The recovery of the satellite phones, which are banned in India for civilian use, is a giveaway that the weapons were meant to be delivered to terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir where partial restrictions are still in place, sources said.Four terrorists of the Khalistan Zindabad Force were arrested at Punjab’s Tarn Taran district on Monday.
A half-burnt drone was recovered by policemen in Tarn Taran, sources said. The terrorists burnt the machine after it failed to fly back to Pakistan, they said. The counter-intelligence team of the Punjab Police made a similar recovery of arms in August in Amritsar, near the border with Pakistan.
“We have observed that smuggling from the Pakistani side has increased since the centre’s move on Jammu and Kashmir,” the police officer said.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said the weapon deliveries by drones have added a “new and serious dimension on Pakistan’s sinister designs”, and asked Home Minister Amit Shah to “handle” the problem.
