CHANDIGARH: In the wake of multiple drones spotting across the Indo-Pakistan border in Punjab, the union government of India is likely to give clearance for security forces to shoot down drones flying below 1,000 feet in the sensitive region. 

As per police sources, soon security agencies which bare deployed at the international border will be allowed to shoot down any drone flying at 1,000 feet and below which crosses into Indian territory. And for the drones flying above 1,000 feet, a clearance will have to be obtained from the concerned authorities.

"This decision has been taken by the central government, we have come to know about it and we expect that soon we will get the formal orders in this regard.  Thus in the future if we spot a drone flying low we will be in a position to shoot it,’’ said a senior police official.

Last week, a Pakistani drone was re-spotted in Ferozepur District of Punjab in the Indian Territory on the India-Pakistan international border, sending the Border Security Force (BSF), Punjab Police and other security agencies in a tizzy. 

On October 8 and 9 another Pakistani drone was spotted twice in the Indian Territory first at Hazara Singh Wala village at 7.20 PM and then at Tendi Wala village at 10.10 PM near the Hussainiwala border on the Indo-Pak border.

Following the incident, the BSF lodged a protest about the incident with Pakistani Rangers during a flag meeting which took place on Tuesday.

A few days back, the Punjab police had recovered two drones which were used to drop five AK-47 rifles, pistols, hand grenades and satellite phones in Punjab, each of them fitted with a GPS device and could carry a weight up to ten kilograms and fly 500 meters above the ground.

In April this year, a drone from Pakistan was spotted in the Khem Karan sector near the Border Out Post (BoP) of Ratoke in Taran Taran district in Punjab creating a panic in the area.