Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 6: Giving a new dimension to September 26 twin terror attacks, the Border Security Force (BSF) today said its inquiry has confirmed that three fidayeens, who had carried out the attacks killing 10 persons including eight security personnel, had not intruded from the International Border in Paharpur area of Hiranagar sector as projected or believed earlier.
Thirteen persons including four Army soldiers, one of them Lt Col Bikramjit Singh (Second-in-Command of 16 Cavalry Unit), four police personnel, two civilians and three fidayeens were killed in the twin terror attacks on September 26 and almost all agencies then believed that the militants had sneaked into this side from Paharpur forward village located on the International Border (IB) in Hiranagar sector before carrying out the attacks.
Briefing reporters at Paharpur border in Hiranagar sector after a tour of the border areas including Paharpur, Shap Nullah and Thap Nullah, DIG BSF Indreshwar Nagar, Virendra Singh said the inquiry report has confirmed that there was no infiltration of the militants from the IB either from Paharpur, Shap Nullah, Thap Nullah or any other area on the IB on September 26.
“All indications, inputs and spot verifications have confirmed that there was no infiltration on September 26. The fencing was intact. Our BSF jawans were on full alert. They had not observed any movement. Our Night Vision Devices (NVDs), Close Circuit Television Sets (CCTVs) and other surveillance equipments have not recorded any movement of the infiltrators. There was no breach of fence and border mechanism,” Mr Singh said, adding, therefore, there was no question that the militants, who carried out twin terror attacks at Hiranagar police station and Mehsar Army camp in Samba, had sneaked into this side from the International Border.
“Apart from border fencing, which was in tact, there were no other tell tale signs, which confirmed infiltration of the militants,” the DIG BSF said.
The BSF has submitted the inquiry report to its Headquarters in New Delhi, which has further forwarded the report to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). BSF Director General Subhash Joshi had a day before also confirmed that the infiltrators, who carried out the terror attacks on September at Hiranagar and Jammu, had not sneaked into from the International Border.
Three fidayeens had been first spotted at forward village of Hari Chak in Hiranagar sector on September 26 morning from where they had hijacked a load carrier and reached Hiranagar police station, where they had opened indiscriminate firing killing four police personnel and two civilians. They had then hijacked a seized truck from Hiranagar police station and reached Jammu-Pathankot National Highway and struck at Mehsar Army camp in Samba killing four Army soldiers including Lt Col Bikramjit Singh. Troops had eliminated all three militants at the Army camp.
Though identity of the militants hadn’t been established the belongings in their possession had confirmed that they were Pakistani nationals.
Most of the security agencies were, however, of the view that the militants had come from across the border. Worthwhile to mention here that the State Government has ordered a high level inquiry into the terror attacks, which was being conducted by Principal Secretary, Home, Suresh Kumar. He was yet to submit its report. The Army had ordered a Court of Inquiry (CoI) into Mehsar camp attack.
Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had said a day before that most of the terror attacks in India were originating from Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the DIG BSF said the BSF was fully prepared to meet with any eventuality from Pakistan during the winter when visibility level is reduced due to foggy weather conditions.
“We are fully prepared for the winter. Our Night Vision Devices, surveillance equipments and the CCTVs are in the place. The foot patrolling is going on round-the-clock. The BSF is fully alert and alive to the situation and it wouldn’t allow any infiltration attempt to succeed,” Mr Singh said.
Noting that winter is not coming for the first time, he added that the BSF has taken adequate arrangements to ensure that the militants didn’t take advantage of the adverse weather conditions to sneak into this side.
He disclosed that the BSF has successfully conducted experiment of moving soldiers in bullet-proof trolley from one part to another on Nullahs. The first such trolley has been installed on Shap Nullah at Paharpur in Hiranagar sector and gradually the BSF would cover all Nullahs and other sensitive areas. The trolley was equipped with all sophisticated equipments to monitor movement of infiltrators
Mr Singh said the BSF has also installed thermal images, concrete wire, low wire engagements, three layered wire along Nullahs and small rivers, linked forward posts with television sets, CCTVs, NVDs etc to monitor any suspicious movement on the borders. He added that the BSF was also prepared to meet with any eventuality during rains, which caused damage to fencing at some places. He said three layered wire has been erected along the Nullahs.
Besides the manual patrolling, a multi-layered security of border fencing along with thermal imagers, infra-red cameras, low concertina barbed wire meshes and posts have been set up as a fool proof security measure to make infiltration impossible along IB, the BSF official said.
Replying to a question on inputs about movement of the militants across the International Border, he added that the BSF to has seen and receive the inputs from some agencies but has not seen any such movement.
“Even if there is any kind of movement of the militants, we are prepared to foil the infiltration attempts whenever the militants try to enter into this side. We will not allow the infiltration attempts to succeed. Our winter strategy is in place and we will ensure that no intrusion bid from Pakistan is successful,” Mr Singh said.
There had been reports that 35 militants were getting training in Pakistan across Hiranagar sector and could try to infiltrate from Hiranagar, Samba and Ramgarh sectors. The BSF officer said their jawans were maintaining very high alert on the International Border and there was no scope of the militants succeeding in the infiltration attempts.
Asserting that multi-layered security has been put in place to prevent militants sneaking across the IB, Mr Singh ruled out any infiltration or breach of fencing in Ramgarh sector on the intervening night of December 5 and 6 as reported by an Intelligence agency.
“There is no infiltration of militants or breach of border fencing along IB in Jammu frontier — There was no such truth in reports of infiltration as stated by an Intelligence agency,” he said, adding the input that suspicious movement of three militants has been observed across the border was mistaken (by the Agency) that three militants had sneaked into this side.
“There was an alert by an Intelligence agency about possibility of infiltration of terrorists sitting across the borderline along the IB, but it was mistaken that the militants managed to sneak across the border, which was not the case,” he asserted.
“Multi-layers security set up has been put in place along IB particular in sensitive riverine areas — The infiltration is almost impossible”, he said while pointing to the security tiers along the borderline.
“Our jawans are undertaking their jobs of border guarding with utmost dedication and in tough conditions”, Mr Singh said.
The BSF will raise a 10-metre high embankment along International Border in Jammu frontier to secure people living in border belts from Pakistan firing.
He said the embankment will be 135 feet wide and 10 meters high from Akhnoor sector to Kathua.
Follow our WhatsApp channel