Drones and dealers: Punjab feels the heat of Pakistan’s covert offensive
The Tribune Editorial: Intelligence agencies link this escalation to Operation Sindoor.
Updated At : 06:32 AM Oct 17, 2025 IST
File
THE five-fold surge in arms smuggling across Punjab’s border with Pakistan signals a dangerous reactivation of Pakistan’s covert playbook. With 362 weapons seized so far this year compared to 81 last year, Punjab once again finds itself on the frontline of a shadow war. Intelligence agencies link this escalation to Operation Sindoor, India’s precision strikes on terror hideouts in Pakistan and PoK earlier this year. Retaliation has come not through open confrontation but through drones and couriers ferrying Glocks, AK-47s and grenades into Punjab’s border districts.
