New Delhi: The India-Pakistan border is witnessing a three-fold rise in  drone sighting incidents, media reports said on Tuesday.

According to reports, 311 observations of such Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) were made till December 23 this year compared to 104 in 2021.

Besides this data collated by the Border Security Force (BSF), which is mandated to guard the 3,323 km India-Pakistan border, the drone sighting incidents have quadrupled as compared to 2020 when 77 UAVs — a major source of smuggling arms and ammunition, as well as drugs into India — were observed along the Pakistan border, reports ANI.

The drone sightings, which were majorly observed in different areas in Punjab, were within a range of 2-10 km of the International Border, the Indian news agency reported.

However, alert BSF personnel shot down over 22 such drones and seized nearly 45 kg of heroin and a cache of arms and ammunition — including seven grenades, two magazines, 60 ammunition and other arms.

Out of a total of 492 UAVs or drones observed on the India-Pakistan border from January 1, 2020 to December 23, this year, 311 were sighted this year, 104 in 2021 and 77 in 2020, reveals the data accessed by ANI.

Of the total drone sightings, 369 UAVs were observed in Punjab, 75 in Jammu, 40 in Rajasthan, and 8 in Gujarat.