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Around 135 militants waiting across border to infiltrate: IG BSF

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BSF on high alert along IB following inputs of threat from across: IG Jammu

Srinagar/Jammu: About 135 militants are present at launch pads across the border and are waiting to infiltrate into India, BSF Inspector General, Kashmir, Raja Babu Singh said on Monday.
However, he asserted that the overall situation at the Line of Control (LoC) is “peaceful” and said the number of infiltration bids was lesser in 2021 in comparison to previous years.
“The overall scenario along the LoC is peaceful. Since the signing of the ceasefire agreement, there has been a general peace all along the LoC in the Kashmir frontier,” the Border Security Force (BSF) officer said while speaking to reporters here.
Giving details on infiltration bids, he said in 2021, 58 attempts were made, in which five militants were killed, 21 returned and one surrendered.
“There have been reports that 31 infiltrated in 2021, 130 in 2019, and 36 in 2020,” the inspector general (IG) said.
During 2021, the BSF successfully recovered or seized three AK-47 rifles, six nine-mm pistols, 1,071 ammunitions, 20 hand grenades, two IEDs and 17.3 kg of heroin — worth Rs 88 crore — in different operational incidents, he said.
The IG BSF said there are reports that “104 to 135 terrorists” are present at different launch pads across the LoC and waiting to infiltrate.
“There are also reports that some guides have gone from here and crossed the LoC to that side. So, we need to monitor them as and when they return. Their families need to be monitored, he said.
Singh said there is a lot of synergy between the army and the BSF.
“The more we conduct area dominations, keep watch and surveillance, the more difficult it will be for them to infiltrate. We are putting in all-out efforts so that no infiltration is allowed, that zero infiltration happens,” he said.
“As and when anyone is spotted crossing the LoC, he is challenged and if firing is used, he is killed like the recent killing of a terrorist on January 2, the IG BSF added.
Asked about the Taliban threat, he said Taliban, “there is nothing like that till now, but we are keeping an eye on the developments”.
“Nothing concrete has come into notice so far, but we are keeping an eye on it. We are keeping a strict vigil,” he said while responding to another question about the apprehensions of weapons from Afghanistan making their way into Kashmir.
On the issue of drones, the IG BSF, said the drone threat is “very real”.
“Last year also, drones were noticed, but no one ventured inside our territory.
This year, we are taking enough measures, anti-drone techniques, we are also getting a few drones, and we will tackle it very effectively,” he said.
He said the other challenge before the security forces on the LoC is narcotics.
“There have been attempts to push narcotics from the other side. We have seized it. We have a zero-tolerance policy against narcotics,” Singh said.
Meanwhile, BSF troops deployed on the India-Pakistan border in Jammu and Kashmir have been put on high alert following a threat of anti-social elements creating trouble on Republic Day, the force’s Inspector General for Jammu DK Boora said.
He also said that the Border Security Force (BSF) has launched a number of operations along the International Border, including anti-drone exercises and those related to detecting tunnels.
The BSF is also conducting joint patrolling with the army, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and police to thwart nefarious attempts of terrorists, Boora said.
“There is input that anti-national elements are likely to create trouble (in connection with Republic Day) but we are very, very alert on and along the border, including the Line of Control (LoC),” he said.
“We have heightened our vigil on the border extensively,” the inspector general (IG) told reporters here.
Boora said intelligence inputs clearly point towards the possibility of some activities from across the border.
“We have got inputs (that such activities) like infiltration or induction of weapons, ammunition, explosives and its assembling inside our area or drug smuggling (can take place). But we are on high alert and we will not allow anyone to succeed in these nefarious designs,” he said.
Keeping in mind the present security scenario and intelligence inputs ahead of Republic Day, the BSF is carrying out extensive anti-tunnelling drives, special patrolling and depth area domination despite extremely hostile weather conditions.
“We had planned these activities, which are being conducted on the border. Maximum number of troops and officers are present on the border. We have declared two weeks long heightened vigil on the border and extensively carrying out operations along the border, including anti-tunnelling exercises and anti-drone exercises,” Boora said.
“To strengthen border domination, mobilisation of troops has been done. Regular monitoring of suspicious activities of counterparts is being carried out through surveillance equipment,” he said.
The IG said that joint patrolling and exercises are also being conducted along with the army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police to scuttle any nefarious attempts of anti-social elements.
He said that “during this period, every year, there is a stress on the security situation along the borders.”
“But we are here to meet all the challenges and pre-empt the nefarious designs of anti-national elements (ANEs), which try to be out-spoken in our celebrations,” Boora said
He said that BSF is confident that the ANEs and militants will not succeed in whatever plans they have.
“Our own kind of resources that are human resources and technical resources are in place. We are confident that we will be able to meet the challenges very effectively,” he added.
The IG assured people residing along the border and hinterland that they have nothing to fear as the BSF are very alert on the border.
“We will do everything that it takes to ensure the safety and security of the people,” he added.
BSF troops deployed on the International Border in Jammu have been quite successful and consistent in foiling attempts from across the border by eliminating Pakistani intruders, seizing huge caches of arms, ammunition, narcotics and detecting tunnels in the past one year, Boora said.


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