Shillong: While people of Meghalaya were engrossed in the musical concert of Canadian singer Bryan Adams, Bangladesh’s surveillance drones were hovering close to Cherrapunjee and Shella.
High-level sources told Northeast News that a couple of Bangladeshi Bayraktar TB2 UAVs were spotted close to the international border, south of Cherrapunjee and Shella in Meghalaya.
The UAVs flew north of Chhatak and Sunamganj in Bangladesh, about 200 metres south of the zero line, the sources said.
Interestingly, the Bangladeshi drones were deployed along the Meghalaya border just after the Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri completed his crucial visit to Dhaka.
One of the drones, identified by its transponder code TB2R1071, was being operated from the Tejgaon Airbase, the sources said.
A similar UAV was intercepted by the Indian Air Force’s radar close to the West Bengal border, reflecting a pattern of intensified UAV deployments along the 4,096 km-long border by Bangladesh.
Though the External Affairs Ministry is yet to react on Bangladesh’s UAV deployments along the border, the security forces are high on alert to avert any subversive activities.
The UAVs have been identified as the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2. It is a medium-altitude, long-endurance drone with advanced surveillance capabilities, including high-definition video and thermal imaging.
The UAVs are also equipped for tactical operations with precision-guided munitions (PGM).
The precision-guided munitions (PGMs), also known as smart bombs, are weapons that use guidance systems to hit specific targets while minimizing collateral damage.
Few days ago, similar looking UAVs were spotted along the international border in South Tripura and Western Mizoram.
While Bangladesh is spreading strong anti-India rhetoric under Jamaat’s influence, it unfortunate that the people forgot that the country was liberated in 1971 because of India’s help.
Authorities and defense experts are closely monitoring the situation, emphasizing the need for better vigilance to address evolving security challenges.
