Jammu: Deployment of troops and surveillance systems has been “strengthened” along the border with Pakistan amid “intelligence inputs of heightened activity at terrorist launch pads on the other side” ahead of Republic Day, a top BSF officer in Jammu and Kashmir said on Monday.
Border Security Force (BSF) Inspector General (IG), Jammu Frontier, D K Boora’s comments came on a day the force shot dead an infiltrator and recovered a huge consignment of weapons and narcotics in two separate incidents along the International Border (IB) in the Union Territory’s Samba district.
“The troops deployed on the border led to the seizure amid heightened terrorist activity on the Pakistani side,” Boora said, adding that Pakistan “continues to make attempts to push terrorists and smuggle arms and narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir”.
Officials said that the Pakistani intruder was shot dead in the early hours of Monday when BSF troops restored to firing following the detection of suspicious movement along the IB in Samba district.
The intruder did not pay any heed to signals to stop and was subsequently shot dead, they said.
In a separate incident, the BSF also seized a consignment of arms and heroin along the IB near the Chamliyal outpost.
The consignment was found in a white-coloured sack and the seizure included three AK rifles along with five magazines, four pistols along with seven magazines, five packets of heroin and some assorted ammunition.
The sack was noticed during patrolling and it had the markings of “Fauji Fertilizers Company Limited” of Pakistan, the officials said.
“This is the first major seizure along the IB in 2022. The troops who were on patrol seized the bag which had Pakistani marking, leading to the seizure of arms, ammunition and narcotics,” Boora told reporters at Chamliyal as the force displayed the seized material.
The force had got inputs that taking advantage of foggy conditions, infiltration as well as smuggling of arms and ammunition could take place, he said.
Accordingly all formations along the IB were put on alert, Boora said.
“Commanders and troops were keeping a constant vigil. Around 15 days or so, we started getting inputs… they made two attempts and both of them were thwarted by alert troops,” the BSF officer said.
Congratulating personnel for the two successful operations, Boora said when an intruder was shot dead in Ramgarh sector, the arms smugglers abandoned the bag and fled back.
“Republic Day is coming and there is heightened activity (on the launch pads) across the border. After getting the inputs, we strengthened deployment of troops, surveillance systems and other equipment so that the militants are not successful in their plans,” he said.
Asked whether the arms consignment was to disrupt Republic Day celebrations, the IG BSF said it was not difficult to guess as in the past as well attempts were made to push infiltrators and smuggle arms to disturb important occasions like Republic Day, Independence Day.
“Our analysis is that it (the attempt to smuggle weapons) was in that direction,” he said.
Boora said it was not possible to put out a specific number of militants waiting across the border to infiltrate into India.
“We had inputs about three to four groups at different places that were planning to infiltrate taking advantage of foggy conditions. We had made the deployments after taking all aspects into account,” he said.
Boora assured that any attempts from across the border would be successfully deterred and both the incidents highlight the alertness of troops.
On the renewed ceasefire between India and Pakistan that came into effect along the borders in Jammu and Kashmir in February last year, he said “the ceasefire is holding well as there is no firing from either side.”
However, he said “ceasefire or no ceasefire, there was not much difference as far as infiltration and smuggling of arms, ammunition and narcotics were concerned. Such attempts are continuing from the Pakistani side.”
The BSF officer said there has been spurt in smuggling of narcotics into Jammu and Kashmir over the past one year.
“This (smuggling of narcotics) was happening in Punjab and has seen spurt in Jammu as well over the past one year. It shows that narcotics is a tool to keep terrorism alive,” he said.
Boora said the use of drones from across the border to drop weapons is a major challenge and effective steps are on to counter the threat.
