Jammu, May 14: A high alert was sounded here after movement of suspected militants was detected along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, a senior police officer said today.
The development comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on May 19.
According to the officials, the government forces will continue to conduct ‘cordon and search operation’ for the next three to four days.
“BSF troops saw a movement of (five) suspicious persons little away from the border fence. Based on that, a high alert was sounded and searches are being conducted,” Kathua Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sridhar Patel said.
All the troops have been alerted and the search operation will go on for the next three to four days, he said, adding additional check-points have been setup and highway has been monitored.
The Army is conducting aerial surveillance through helicopters and so far nothing has been found, the officer said.
The security installations along the highways in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts have been put on alert.
The fencing is intact and there is no breach in the border fencing, the SSP said.
Movement of suspected militants carrying bags was detected in Kathua district’s Tarnah Allah area, which is close to the I-B, the officer said.
“They are believed to be part of the group that has infiltrated from Pakistan into this side in Tarnah Allah between the Londi and Bobbiyan Border Out Posts (BoPs),” according to reports.
IGP Jammu S D Singh Jamwal said that an alert has been sounded in the area since 12 am after suspicious movement.
According to a senior BSF official, suspicious movement of at least four to five people, suspected to be militants, was noticed along a stream between Londi and Bobbiyan in Tarnah Allah area of Hira Nagar sector shortly after midnight last night.
“We are not sure whether they have managed to cross over to this side or returned back. They were noticed by the alert personnel and immediately a search operation was launched,” the BSF officer said.
The officials said security installations along the Jammu-Pathankot highway especially in Kathua and Samba have been put on high alert while check-posts have also been set up at various places as a precautionary measure.
The local residents have also been alerted and asked to report any suspicious movement to the nearest security installation.
