{
  "id": 6842436,
  "title": "Along Punjab’s border, it’s all about drones",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/along-punjabs-border-its-all-about-drones",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T02:19:28.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Indian Express",
    "slug": "the-indian-express",
    "url": "https://indianexpress.com/article/long-reads/punjab-pakistan-border-drone-smuggling-drugs-bsf-10874114/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "On January 31, a revenue official named Pishaura Singh in Gilpan, Tarn Taran district of Punjab, observed a low humming sound in his village. He identified it as a drone launched from Pakistan, eventually landing near his kitchen garden. The drone was carrying a kilogram of contraband, possibly including drugs, sealed in two packets. Singh alerted the local police and senior officials, but responses were delayed. By August 2025, nearly 300 Pakistani drones had been intercepted by the BSF and allied agencies in Punjab. The 462-km border fence, built in the late 1980s and early 1990s, stands 8 to 12 feet high and is equipped with concertina/razor wires and cobra wires. However, the fence is located 150 yards inside Indian territory, leaving significant farmland between the fence and the actual border. This fence, once a modern Maginot line, has now become a target for aerial drone incursions. Security officials identified at least eight key drone launch pads in Pakistan's Punjab, including Jahman and Masteki. The drones typically fly into landing areas in Indian villages such as Bhindi Saidan, Attari, Rajatal, Dall, Daleri, Maari Meghaan, Wan, and surrounding areas. The recent security analysis has shown an evolution in drone operations, from simple radio-controlled incursions to technologically advanced platforms with anti-jamming capabilities and even satellite-linked systems.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Revenue official Pishaura Singh spots drone in Gilpan, Tarn Taran district.",
    "Nearly 300 Pakistani drones intercepted by BSF and allies in Punjab by August 2025.",
    "Drone operations evolve to advanced platforms with anti-jamming and satellite-linked systems."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The surge in Pakistani drone incursions along Punjab's border reveals a significant vulnerability in India's security infrastructure, forcing authorities to reassess their defenses against technologically advancing threats.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}