Hectic activity on launch pads
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Nov 25: After truce on the Line of Control (LoC) following Brigade Commander level talks between India and Pakistan, the militants have shifted their focus towards the International Border (IB) in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts amid reports that a good number of them have been camping at the launch pads waiting for an opportunity to sneak into this side.
Reliable sources told the Excelsior that during past few days increased activity has been observed in Pakistani posts of Dhundiyal, Ghandiyal, Chattar, Khanoor and surroundings opposite Samba and Ramgarh sectors. Similar movement has also been noticed in some other Pakistani posts opposite Hiranagar and Akhnoor sectors.
“Some militants have been spotted at the launch pads located close to posts of the Pakistani Rangers across the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts. Though such movement was not unusual, it has increased during past few days,” sources said, adding that since it will not be possible for the militants to make infiltration attempts from the LoC during the winters due to snowfall and closure of some passes, some of the militants have shifted towards the International Border.
A very high alert is already being maintained by Army on the LoC and BSF on the International Border to ensure that even if the militants tried to infiltrate, they are eliminated at the border itself.
“Security forces were strictly monitoring the movement of militants both on Line of Control as well as International Border. Notwithstanding the Pakistan army’s assurance to stick to 2003 ceasefire agreement and maintain peace on the LoC, the Indian Army hasn’t let down its guard and was maintaining very high alert to ensure that the infiltration attempts don’t succeed,” sources said.
Army and BSF have put strategy in place to tackle the infiltration attempts during the winter especially in the months of December and January when fog will engulf the border belt during night and early hours of morning reducing visibility to virtually zero, making it impossible or difficult to observe movement of the infiltrators.
In such months, security forces have sophisticated gadgetry installed at both Line of Control and International Border to detect movement of the infiltrators and neutralize them before they could succeed in infiltration.
It may be mentioned here that couple of months back, three Pakistani militants had infiltrated between Samba and Hiranagar sectors and were on way to the Kashmir valley in a truck when they were intercepted at Jhajjar Kotli and eliminated after two days long operation.
Two Over Ground Workers of the militants, arrested by the police then, had disclosed that they had transported nearly 20 militants from the International Border to the Valley in the trucks.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh during his visit here in September had unveiled two pilot projects of laser fencing along the International Border.
Sources said the BSF was keeping heightened in the riverine belts, where there was either no fencing or part of it had been washed away or damaged during the Monsoon. Generally, the damaged parts are repaired immediately after the Monsoon is over.
“The BSF has plugged the un-fenced areas like Nullahs and the places of damaged fencing by regular manual patrolling to ensure that the militants don’t manage to take advantage of unplugged gaps, if any, to infiltrate into the Indian territory from the international boundary,” sources said.
The BSF has reports that there was desperation among the militants camping across the International Border on their failure to infiltrate into this side. It was in view of this that the BSF was not taking any chances on the borders.
The BSF has already installed hi-tech system on the international boundary. The system installed on the border has been upgraded to such an extent that it will leave no scope for infiltration. However, even if the militants somehow managed to enter, they will be spotted and neutralized by the alert security personnel.
The BSF has also strengthened its communication and Intelligence system all along the border in Jammu sector, which would give boost to its efforts to ensure zero infiltration on the borders.
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