They were fishing boats from Pak 8212; BSF

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 15: The three mysterious boats which stayed around for six hours even after the Indian Air Force IAF helicopter cras...

NEW DELHI, NOVEMBER 15: The three mysterious boats which stayed around for six hours even after the Indian Air Force IAF helicopter crashed in the marsh off Gujarat were Pakistani fishing boats, the Director General, Border Security Force, E.N. Ram Mohan, said today.

8220;There is no way any Indian fishing boat can reach that area. There is a nullah from the Pakistani side and these boats came from there. The survivors saw the nets and markings,8221; he told The Indian Express. Though it8217;s the BSF which maintains vigil in the marshy area and creek, its personnel feel the Indian Air Force has a more important role to play. 8220;Only aerial reconnaissance can be successful in the area which is neither land nor water,8221; sources said.

The BSF will soon acquire a twin-engine aircraft for aerial reconnaissance over the area. 8220;So far we only have single-engine Puma Cheetah helicopters which are not safe over the sea. But soon we will have the twin-engine helicopters and shall not have to depend on the IAF,8221; added an official.

The Mi-8 helicopter crash has led to the demand for hovercrafts in the region being renewed. Neither the Navy nor the BSF has any hovercraft and the Coast Guard has only one which is deployed on the eastern coast at Haldia. It was acquired in mid-September from England this year.

It shall acquire one more from England in December and four more will be assembled at the Garden Reach Ship Builders in Calcutta under a Rs 50-crore deal.

8220;That marshy area is neither land nor sea. Neither boats nor motor vehicles can operate there. Therefore a hovercraft is the ideal solution. And hovercrafts are being used extensively by border patrols in marshy areas world over,8221; sources said.

However, some officials feel a single bullet can cripple a hovercraft and therefore it will not be successful in places like Sir Creek and the entire area. Sources in the Coast Guard feel a hovercraft will be an ideal solution to patrolling in the region.

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The Coast Guard is now planning to expedite the establishment of its bases on the Gujarat coast. 8220;We have one at Okha and another one at Porbandar. But we will soon have one in Jakhau which is around 20 nautical miles from the area of incident,8221; a senior Coast Guard official said today.

8220;As soon as the hovercrafts are acquired, two will immediately be deployed in the Palk straits region to curb smuggling and two more off the coast of Gujarat near Jakhau,8221; added an official.

The Coast Guard, however, insists the Sir Creek and Cori Creek areas will continue to be patrolled by the BSF. 8220;We protect on sea till an area of five nautical miles. Before that it is the BSF on land and beyond that it is the Navy,8221; sources added.