BSF identifies tunnel prone stretches, rolls out plan to deal with infiltration

With terror camps giving training to terrorists to utilise tunnels for infiltration, the Border Security Force (BSF) has geared up for infiltration attempts for the upcoming season and has prepared a strategy to deal with it.

Areas that are tunnel prone have been identified along the India-Pakistan border and manual, as well as technological-based patrolling, have been placed in almost 18 stretches identified by the force. A meeting was held in the national capital with top BSF officials last week regarding the same.

Machines used for digging the ground and radars have been placed apart from manual patrolling.

According to top sources in the BSF, there are tunnels that still exist, made by Pakistan-based terror groups and anti-tunnel drives have been initiated.

"In last six months, almost in every 40 days, we have unearthed one tunnel at the international border. These tunnels were built years back. Since terrorists are looking for different ways for infiltration, tunnels remain their safest way. We have been doing the anti-tunnel drives and identified areas where we suspect that it will have more tunnels, which can be used to infiltrate," a senior BSF official said.

Sources said that last week, a meeting was held at the top-level where the operational-related issue was discussed. In the meeting, officers of BSF also briefed the measures taken against infiltration and read out the plan for the next couple of months.

"There have been inputs that terrorists, due to no firing at the international border, may use a different way to infiltrate. A wide area has been marked and deployment has been done to keep an eye. Also, radars have been placed. In a recent meeting, the plan to counter infiltration for the next couple of months was discussed," the official told on the condition of anonymity.

BSF in January this year had detected a tunnel in the area of Pansar, Jammu. The tunnel was approximately 150 meters long and 30 feet deep. Later, it was found that the tunnel was starting from the Pakistan side.

Indian security forces had also gone almost 200 meters inside Pakistan's side to unearth a tunnel that was used by terrorists to infiltrate inside Indian territory.

"We want to assure the country that our men will always stand to protect the country from the coward infiltration attempts of Pakistan, which we see have risen in the recent past," BSF Director-General Rakesh Asthana had said earlier.

( With inputs from ANI )