Efforts on to make infiltration from Pakistan impossible, effectively tackle drone threat: BSF

The Border Security Force (BSF) is taking steps to make infiltration of terrorists impossible besides tackling the challenge posed by the use of drones to smuggle weapons and narcotics from across the border, a senior BSF officer said on Saturday.

BSF Additional Director-General (Western Command) PV Rama Sastry said the force was fully alert to and capable of meeting the challenges on the border and had successfully thwarted all infiltration attempts this year.

Sastry was speaking to reporters after witnessing the passing out parade of 43 recruits who joined the force at Subsidiary Training Centre in Udhampur.

Responding to a question on the threat of infiltration during the winter, the officer said all necessary measures were being taken to make sure that it was impossible for terrorists to infilitrate into India.

"All surveillance equipment was reviewed and enhanced and more equipment is being deployed within a month. Night domination strategies are also in place. Infiltration will be impossible (this winter)," Sastry said.

He added that there had been many infiltration attempts this year but each one was foiled.

"(Several) infiltrators were shot dead, while many others were forced to flee by alert jawans," Sastry said, adding "the BSF is fully capable of dealing with the threat of infiltration and will ensure zero infiltration." On repeated attempts by Pakistan to smuggle weapons and narcotics into Indian territory using drones, he said it was a challenge and the BSF had taken several measures to counter the threat.

"The BSF is successful in (tackling) all challenges on the borders. The drone is a new problem and various measures have been taken to effectively deal with the threat," he said, adding that anti-drone systems with the capability to detect and jam the unmanned flying objects were being deployed.

Conventional strategies are also in place to ensure that the drones are not able to drop its payload, Sastry said.

The officer added that the force had also introduced drones in the training manual of new recruits and briefed jawans manning the last border post about the threat.

"The research-based new types of weapons, surveillance and new communication systems are being utilised to secure the borders," he said.

The officer said the civil administration was alive to the problems of border residents and were doing everything possible to make their lives comfortable.

"The BSF plays (the role of) a bridge between the civil administration and the border residents. We help them with civic action programmes and always remain available for them to address any issue," he said. Sastry added that underground bunkers damaged during the monsoon were being repaired.

During his address to the news recruits, the senior officer appreciated their display of self-confidence, skill and coordination and applauded them for choosing the BSF. He also exhorted them to serve the nation with courage and enthusiasm.

He also congratulated the Inspector General (Subsidiary Training Centre) and the instructional teams for successfully achieving the objective of moulding raw village youths into well-trained 'Seema Prahari' by instilling them with confidence and turning them into disciplined jawans.

Over 24 weeks, the recruits were trained to gain proficiency in handling different weapons, firing skills and border management, a BSF spokesperson said.