BSF foils smuggling attempt in Punjab, recovers M3 and AK47 type rifles
Darpan News Desk IANS, 23 Aug, 2022 11:03 AM
Chandigarh, Aug 23 (IANS) The Border Security Force (BSF) on Tuesday said it has foiled a smuggling attempt from Pakistan by recovering M3 and AK47 type rifles.
"Alert troops of @BSF_Punjab thwarted a weapons smuggling attempt by recovering 02 M-3 type rifles with 04 mags (magazines), 03 AK-47 type rifles with 06 mags & 02 Pistols with 04 mags during checking/search along the Indo-Pak Border in Distt Ferozepur, Punjab," the BSF said in a tweet.
Punjab shares a 553-km long international border, with a barbed wire fence, with Pakistan.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) Pankaj Kumar to enhance vigil at the borders of the state for checking smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border.
The Director General had called on the Chief Minister here on July 31.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister had said Punjab being a border state faces numerous challenges of smuggling of drugs and weapons from across the border.
He had said that this needs to be checked with a heavy hand as it poses a grave threat to the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.
Mann had said Punjab is fighting the country's war against the drug menace.
The force said that positive identification of only three mortal remains -- Gen Rawat, Madhulika Rawat and Brig L.S. Lidder -- has been possible as of now, and their mortal remains will be released to the next of kin for final rites as desired by the respective families.
Almost 15 months after the farmers' agitation began against the (now scrapped) farm laws and other issues, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of farmer unions that led the protest, said on Thursday that it has suspended the agaitation after receiving positive assurances from the government on their demands, adding that the borders of Delhi will be cleared by Saturday.
India's civil aviation regulator, the DGCA, on Thursday extended the ban on scheduled international commercial flights till January 31.Earlier, India had announced plans to allow resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services from December 15 with certain conditions.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with the country's top security officers held a meeting on Wednesday over the situation arising out of the IAF chopper crash in Tamil Nadu that killed Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others onboard the ill-fated helicopter.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), the umbrella body of the farmers protesting along the borders of the national capital over agricultural issues, have agreed to the draft proposal prepared by the Central government, and is expected make a "major announcement" on Thursday. A meeting is likely to be held on Thursday noon to decide the further strategy of the movement.
