India to erect laser walls on border with Pakistan to curb infiltration

India is set to erect laser walls in 40 restive border areas near Pakistan to curb infiltration in the wake of the recent terror attacks. Officials in New Delhi have said the move is being given "top priority" by the government.

All the vulnerable areas fall under India's border state of Punjab. The Indian internal affairs ministry said the laser walls would be installed where a fence cannot possibly be set up.

"All these riverine stretches located in Punjab will be covered by the laser wall technology developed by the Border Security Force (BSF) to completely eliminate the chances of breach of the international border by Pakistan-based terror groups," a home ministry official was quoted as saying by Indian news outlet NDTV.

The laser beam technology is already being used in nearly half a dozen places in the region. The laser wall, which detects any object coming in its line of sight, sets off a loud siren in case of any breach.

India's latest move comes after some militants reportedly entered the country via the porous border region in order to carry out high-profile terror attacks. A camera set up over the 130-metre-wide stretch was not recording the images, it was later found.

India and Pakistan have been going through a mixed phase of relations in recent times. Efforts to resume talks between the two nuclear-armed neighbours have been stalled by terror strikes in India which New Delhi blames on terrorists operating from Pakistani soil.