Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 11: Investigations by security and intelligence agencies have revealed that Lashkar-e-Toiba’s Border Action Team (BAT), which has been revived by the militant outfit sometime back, was most likely responsible for planting Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and landmines on the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district recently.
The IEDs and landmine explosions on the LoC had taken the life of a civil porter, hired by the Army, and led to injuries to five persons including three porters and two Army soldiers few days back.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the BAT, which used to be very active on the LoC about a decade back, had suddenly disappeared from the scene two to three years back. No activity of the BAT had been reported either from the LoC or the IB this time. However, they said, recently activities of the BAT have been noticed again and it appeared to have been revived by the LeT outfit.
The first major activity in which security and intelligence agencies had suspected the hand of BAT along with Pakistan Army took place on January 8 this year when two Indian Army soldiers were killed with one of them beheaded and his body taken away to Pakistan.
But, according to sources, the planting of series of IEDs and mines in forward areas of the LoC, was definitely the handiwork of BAT, whose cadre were experts in sneaking close to the LoC, plant explosive devices and return to Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
Sources said the security and intelligence agencies have credible information about revival of the BAT and that recent IED and mine blast on the LoC were handiwork of the outfit.
“It hardly matters for us whether the BAT has been revived or not. We are maintaining a high alert on the LoC. Whether the IEDs or mine are planted by the LeT or any other outfit or the BAT, we are committed to thwart their plot,” Army sources said.
They added that the troops on the LoC were maintaining strict surveillance to ensure that the militants didn’t succeed in planting more IEDs or mines, which were aimed at inflicting casualties on the Army. But they admitted that going by the terrain on the LoC and adverse weather conditions during Monsoon with thick growth of vegetation and forest cover, it was not always possible to keep vigil on each and every point in the forward area.
Meanwhile, Army would be deploying six Border Surveillance Management Systems (BSMS) in the State.
“A surveillance system is required which can cater to Indian Army’s peacetime requirements, both during day and night,” sources said.
The move comes in the light of increased attempts of infiltration on the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir during the past few months.
The border area already has in place a strong surveillance mechanism, including three-tier fencing, flood-lighting, sensors, thermal imagers and manual patrolling but the BSMS is expected to enhance the Army’s anti-infiltration capabilities.
The BSMS would be able to provide inputs any time to a surveillance centre situated well behind the sensor (observation post).
“It would be networked so that a single surveillance centre is able to observe the feed of multiple sensors,” sources said.
The system would contain observation devices and come with a thermal imager camera, which can observe and record images both in daylight and during darkness.
The system would also be able to function in both wireless and wired mode, sources said.
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