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May 16, 2008
BSF Admits to
Infiltration Along Kashmir Border
Khora (Jammu and Kashmir)
Admitting that "three to four" militants could have infiltrated
across the International Border (IB) in Jammu and Kashmir, the
Border Security Force (BSF) said Friday it would increase its force
levels along the 200-km-long frontier to forestall any other
attempts.
"We see the possibility of three to four infiltrators having sneaked
in," BSF director general A.K. Mitra told reporters after inspecting
the spot where militants had May 9 attempted to infiltrate.
He said four infiltration bids had taken place along the IB and were
"foiled" but in the last one "we think some of them did manage to
infiltrate".
BSF officials had earlier said a group of 15 militants had attempted
to sneak in but this had been "completely foiled by forcing all of
them back into Pakistani territory".
Mitra said an additional 1,000 troopers would be deployed to protect
the flat plain IB and equipped with sophisticated gadgets like night
vision devices, imagers, and electronic surveillance devices,
besides which the alarms on the fence would be improved.
There is a three-tier barbed wire fence along the IB and the 720 km
Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir. The fence is fitted with lights
that operate either through solar power or generator sets. The army
soldiers who guard the LOC fence as it meanders through high
mountains and rugged terrain have night vision devices and
electronic surveillance systems.
Mitra said the run up to assembly elections in Kashmir would be very
crucial from the infiltration point of view "so if need be, we will
also put trainees on the job (of guarding the IB)".
The BSF chief said he had discussed various measures with the
officials on ground to check infiltration. "I have instructed
everyone here in BSF to put themselves into the militants' shoes and
see how possibly they will try to infiltrate and then devise
measures to prevent it".
Mitra's visit was prompted by the infiltration bid by militants from
Pakistan across the IB in the Glarh sector last week.
"It was a very serious infiltration bid by about 15 militants which
we have foiled completely. We do not rule out possibility of
Pakistani Rangers giving covering fire to the infiltrators," BSF
additional deputy inspector general J.B. Sangwan had told reporters
after the incident.
However, the security agencies, including the police and the army,
had expressed fears that eight infiltrators had manage to sneak into
the Indian side. Just a day later, militants attacked in the Kali
Mandi area near Jammu, leading to a daylong gun battle in which
eight people, including two militants, were killed and 12 others
were injured. The security forces said the militants were those who
had sneaked in a day earlier.
May 16, 2008
IANS | Top
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