Amritsar (Punjab) [India], May 4 (ANI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Sunday lauded the arrest of two alleged Pakistani spies in Amritsar, calling it a 'patriotic resolve' and reaffirming Punjab's commitment as a border state to counter threats to national security.

In a post on X, Mann wrote, 'The brave jawans of the Punjab Police have foiled a Pakistani spy conspiracy in Amritsar and arrested two traitors. This is not just an arrest, but a patriotic resolve, for which the Punjab Police deserves congratulations.'

https://x.com/BhagwantMann/status/1918948645811949760

He added, 'Being a border state, we are fulfilling our duty towards the country and will continue to fight the nefarious conspiracies of the country's enemies.'

The Chief Minister's remarks came after the Amritsar Rural Police arrested two individuals, Palak Sher Masih and Suraj Masih, in a counter-espionage operation. They were allegedly involved in collecting and sending sensitive information and photographs of Army cantonments and Air Force bases in Amritsar.

A case has been registered against them under the Official Secrets Act. Police said the investigation is ongoing, and more information is likely to come out.

This development follows the recovery of two Pakistani drones by the Border Security Force (BSF) earlier in the week. The first drone, a DJI Mavic 3 Classic, was found in a field near Shahur Kalan village in Gurdaspur district during a joint search operation with Punjab Police. The second drone was recovered near Bhaini Rajputana village in Amritsar district.

According to a BSF release, both drones may have crashed due to technical interference from the BSF's advanced anti-drone systems. The release said that these systems, along with the alertness and cooperation between BSF and Punjab Police, are helping to stop illegal drone activities from across the border.(ANI)