Pakistan’s Dirty Game on Punjab Border: ISI-Backed Drones Retreat After Indian Forces Jam Signals

AMRITSAR: In a fresh attempt to breach Indian security, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) has reportedly been deploying advanced drones along the Punjab border to smuggle weapons, explosives, and narcotics into India. However, these drones have increasingly been forced to turn back after Indian agencies enhanced their electronic surveillance and signal-jamming operations.

According to security sources, multiple incidents were reported in recent weeks where drones originating from across the border entered Indian airspace for a few seconds before abruptly returning. The Border Security Force (BSF) confirmed that these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) attempted to fly at night using GPS-guided routes. Once they encountered jamming frequencies activated by Indian forces, their control systems malfunctioned, prompting an automatic return to their origin point.

The sources revealed that the ISI has been experimenting with high-frequency drones equipped with payload release mechanisms and anti-jamming features. “Pakistan based handlers are continuously modifying their tactics. They are trying to exploit gaps in radar coverage or low-visibility conditions. But India’s upgraded counter-drone systems have made it increasingly difficult for them to succeed,” said a senior intelligence officer.

In some cases, BSF troops deployed along the Amritsar, Tarn Taran, and Gurdaspur sectors detected drone activity using night-vision devices and acoustic sensors. Ground patrols were immediately mobilised, and counter-drone units successfully intercepted or forced the UAVs to retreat. No payloads were recovered in these instances, indicating that the drones aborted their missions after detection.

Officials said the ISI’s primary objective behind these drone infiltrations is to push arms, fake currency, and drugs into India for use by sleeper cells and criminal syndicates. “This is part of a broader destabilisation plan,” one official said, adding that agencies are also monitoring social media channels and encrypted apps used by handlers to coordinate cross-border drops.

The BSF has recently introduced indigenous anti-drone technology capable of both detection and neutralisation through directed energy systems. These units, along with AI-enabled surveillance grids and coordinated intelligence sharing between the BSF, Punjab Police, and Defence Intelligence Agency, have helped India tighten its border defences significantly.

A senior BSF officer noted, “Earlier, drones could enter 4–5 km inside Indian territory undetected. Now, even before they cross the zero line, our sensors pick up the signal. The jamming systems disrupt their GPS link, forcing them to return automatically.”

Experts warn that while India’s defences have improved, the threat remains constant. The ISI’s continued efforts to use drones for cross-border infiltration underscore Pakistan’s persistent attempts to destabilise Punjab and fuel unrest through narco-terrorism.

Security agencies have intensified patrols along vulnerable stretches and are also engaging local villagers under the “Seema Prahari” initiative to promptly report drone sightings. With Diwali approaching, intelligence inputs suggest that the ISI may attempt fresh smuggling operations to divert attention and create disturbances, a move Indian agencies say they are fully prepared to counter.