The security forces have been kept in a state of high alert ahead of the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to attend the 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas on Friday in Drass. This will be the PM’s first visit to the region after recent spate of terror attacks and also a few high-level review meetings in this regard held in the national Capital with two of them chaired by Modi himself. 

Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi who landed in Srinagar early Thursday morning visited forward areas along the Line of Control in Kashmir valley to review the preparedness of the forces involved in counter-infiltration and counter-terror operations.

The Army Chief later flew to Kargil to supervise the arrangements. Vital security installations were also kept on high-alert along the Jammu-Pathankot National Highway following the sighting of seven suspected terrorists in a village of the Pathankot district of the neighbouring State, Punjab.

Several schools at Army installations in the Jammu region and along the highway were directed to remain closed till July 29 as a precautionary measure. Massive search operations were also launched by the Army, police, and paramilitary forces in the border areas of Kathua (Jammu) and Pathankot to track down the suspects.

During his brief stay, the Prime Minister will also carry out the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel Project, virtually.

The Shinkun La Tunnel Project consists of a 4.1 km long Twin-Tube tunnel which will be constructed at an altitude of around 15,800 feet on the Nimu — Padum — Darcha Road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh.

Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world.

The Shinkun La tunnel will not only ensure swift and efficient movement of our armed forces and equipment but also foster economic and social development in Ladakh. 

Former Army Chief Gen VP Malik along with several other army veterans, Veer Naris, and the next of kin of fallen soldiers have assembled at the Kargil War Memorial to pay their homage to mark the occasion.

Meanwhile Punjab police have also released a sketch of one of the suspects based on the description of a woman who spotted the seven ‘suspicious’ men in the Phangtoli. A joint team of the security forces has also launched an operation along the International Border (IB) in the Samba sector to detect underground and cross-border tunnels.

“A comprehensive anti-tunnel exercise has commenced to ascertain the presence of any cross-border tunnels,” said a police officer involved in the operation.

The search operations also involve the deployment of drones and are being conducted daily in response to the ongoing security threats posed by potential terrorist infiltrations, he said. “Security forces are clearing dense bushy areas to eliminate the possibility of the existence of tunnels,” the officer added.

Reports also indicate that between 50 to 60 foreign terrorists have infiltrated Jammu via the International Border and Line of Control over the past few months, according to police.

In Kathua, two alleged overground workers (OGWs) were arrested for their involvement in a terror attack on an army patrol party in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district, police said.

According to a police spokesperson. “two OGWs were apprehended for their involvement in supporting terror-related actions”.

On July 8, five army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, were martyred and five others were injured in the attack by heavily armed terrorists in the remote Machedi area of the district.

“These individuals were found to have deliberately withheld crucial information from the police,” the spokesperson said, adding that those arrested have been identified as Layaqat Ali, alias Pawu of Kalna Dhanu Parole (Billawar) and Mool Raj alias Jenju from Bowli Mohalla (Malhar).

According to the spokesperson, the duo refused to disclose vital information to the police, thereby obstructing efforts to prevent terrorist actions.

Ali and Raj have been booked under 61(1) (Criminal conspiracy), 113 (Terrorist act), 147 (Waging, or attempting to wage war against the Government of India), 150 (Concealing with intent to facilitate design to wage war) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the EIMCO (Egress and Internal Movement Control) Act at Malhar Police Station, he said.