Tag: Border Security
India / Main Slide / Top News

Meet Suman Kumari: BSF’s First Woman Sniper Among 56 Male Counterparts

- by Chirag Goyal

Meet Suman Kumari, the first woman sniper of the Border Security Force (BSF), who has made history by completing an eight-week sniper course at the Central School of Weapons and Tactics (CSWT) in Indore, achieving the prestigious ‘instructor grade’.

Suman’s journey to becoming a sniper began when she volunteered for the course after witnessing the looming threat of sniper attacks from across the border while commanding a platoon in Punjab. Encouraged by her determination, her superiors approved her participation in the course.

Despite being the only female among 56 male counterparts in the sniper course, Suman’s resilience and dedication shone through, earning her the distinction of being BSF’s first ‘Mahila Sniper’. Her achievement marks a significant milestone for gender inclusivity within the BSF and is expected to inspire other female recruits to pursue similar military roles.


In an interview with The Times of India, CSWT IG Bhaskar Singh Rawat emphasized the rigorous nature of the sniper course, ranking it among the toughest after commando training. Rawat praised Suman’s accomplishment and revealed that she is now eligible to serve as a sniper instructor.

Highlighting Suman’s exceptional performance during the course, one of her instructors emphasized the demanding physical and mental strength required for sniper training. Despite the challenges, Suman’s unwavering determination and eagerness to learn set her apart, leading her to excel in various activities throughout the course.

Hailing from Mandi district in Himachal Pradesh, Suman hails from a modest background, with her father working as an electrician and her mother as a homemaker. Her remarkable journey from humble beginnings to becoming BSF’s first woman sniper serves as a testament to her grit, perseverance, and dedication to serving her country.

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India / Main Slide / Top News

Suspected Smuggler Killed in BSF Firing Near Indo-Bangla Border in Meghalaya

- by Chirag Goyal

A suspected sugar smuggler was shot dead by security forces in Meghalaya near the Indo-Bangladesh border, with his accomplice injured in the firing.

Security forces in Meghalaya allegedly shot dead a suspected sugar smuggler while his accomplice was injured in firing near the Indo-Bangladesh international border, officials reported on Saturday. The incident occurred on March 1 when Asen M Marak, in his mid-forties, was killed in firing from the BSF Meghalaya Frontier.

Authorities are currently determining the identity and whereabouts of the injured accomplice, believed to have been hit in the leg, according to officials.

Confirming the incident, Sohra sub-divisional officer (Civil) Salon Verma stated that the matter is under inquiry and all formalities are being followed. She mentioned, “I will personally conduct the inquest after the investigating team returns to the base with all relevant information gathered. The postmortem will be conducted here in Sohra, and thereafter, the law will take its course towards a logical conclusion.”

The incident took place at Dalia village near Shella in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills district around 8 pm when a BSF posse on duty encountered a group of individuals allegedly attempting to smuggle sugar, onions, and other materials to Bangladesh.

Providing preliminary details, a senior BSF officer stated that while such incidents are frequent, this one differed as approximately 300 people from both sides of the international border gathered at the site and confronted the BSF team. After exhausting all legal measures to control the crowd, the BSF team resorted to two rounds of firing, resulting in Marak’s death.

“Almost 300 people from both sides of the border converged at the site to confront the BSF personnel. While a group engaged with the BSF personnel, another group quickly took the contraband to remove any evidence of smuggling along with the person who was alive then, to the village where he succumbed to his injuries,” explained the officer.

Despite initially using non-lethal measures such as chilli grenades, stun grenades, and a pump action gun to deter the aggressive crowd, the situation escalated as the crowd attacked the team with machetes, knives, and other weapons. The team fired once in the air and subsequently fired again, resulting in the injury of two persons. Marak was rushed to the hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

“As per convention, unlike the western border, there is a treaty wherein non-lethal measures will be first adopted in cases of border confrontation or skirmishes, and the team had to resort to the last resort to save themselves,” added the officer.

 

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India / Main Slide / Mumbai / Top News

Indian Security Agencies Intercept Pakistan-Bound Ship from China Carrying ‘Military-Grade Items’

- by Chirag Goyal

Indian security agencies have intercepted a Pakistan-bound ship from China at Mumbai’s Nhava Sheva port over suspicions of a ‘dual-use consignment’ intended for Pakistan’s nuclear and ballistic missile program. Among the items seized was a Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machine manufactured by an Italian company. A team from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) also inspected the consignment.

The interception took place based on intelligence input, leading customs officials to halt the Malta-flagged merchant ship, CMA CGM Attila, en route to Karachi on January 23 at the port. The consignment, including the CNC machine, underwent scrutiny by DRDO, which certified its potential use in manufacturing critical parts for Pakistan’s missile development program.

There have been concerns regarding Pakistan’s potential exploitation of China as a conduit to acquire restricted items from Europe and the US while masking identities to evade detection.

Documents such as bills of loading indicated the consigner as “Shanghai JXE Global Logistics Co Ltd” and the consignee as “Pakistan Wings Pvt Ltd” of Sialkot. However, further investigation revealed that the 22,180-kilogram consignment was shipped by Taiyuan Mining Import and Export Co Ltd, intended for Cosmos Engineering in Pakistan.

Port officials, acting on specific intelligence, alerted Indian defence authorities, leading to the inspection and subsequent seizure of the cargo. This seizure falls within the purview of preventing potential proliferation by Pakistan and China.

CNC machines, operated by computers, offer enhanced efficiency, consistency, and accuracy, making them valuable assets with applications in both civilian and military domains. Since 1996, CNC machines have been included in the Wassenaar Arrangement—an international arms control regime aimed at curbing the proliferation of equipment with dual civilian and military uses. India, among the 42 member countries, actively participates in exchanging information on transfers of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies.

And therefore, Indian port officials have previously seized similar dual-use military-grade items being shipped from China to Pakistan. In February 2020, China attempted to supply an autoclave to Pakistan under the guise of an “industrial dryer.”

Moreover, Cosmos Engineering, a Pakistani defence supplier, has been under scrutiny since March 12, 2022, when Indian authorities intercepted a shipment of Italian-made thermoelectric instruments, once again at the Nhava Sheva port.

Furthermore, in June 2023, the US Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) imposed sanctions on three Chinese companies—General Technology Limited (autoclave supplier to Pakistan), Beijing Luo Luo Technology Development, and Changzhou Utek Composite Company—for their involvement in supplying missile-applicable items to Pakistan’s ballistic missile programme.

 

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