To prevent fresh infiltration bids from across the International Border (IB) with Pakistan, Border Security Forces (BSF) has activated its Winter Border Management strategy by beefing up its defences and reviewing the deployment pattern to plug the gaps, if any, across Jammu frontier.
Following fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of North Kashmir district of Kupwara, several mountain passes and traditional infiltration routes have already been blocked forcing the militant handlers to shift their focus towards the International border.
Besides activating winter border management strategy, the BSF has also deployed additional troops for patrol duties to ensure round the clock area domination, especially along vulnerable patches across the 190 km long International border.
According to official sources, Anti fog lights have also been made operational and additional security ‘naka’ points have been set up to monitor suspicious movement of infiltrators close to the barbed wire fence.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Inspector General (BSF), Jammu Frontier, NS Jamwal said, “ We have already activated our winter border management strategy to prevent any fresh infiltration bid from across the border on ground zero”.
Sharing his current assessment of the prevailing security situation,IG BSF said, “there are certain groups who are ready to cross over and they are exploring both line of control and the International border to sneak inside the Indian territory”. He said, “we have carried out certain readjustments and reinforcements have been rushed wherever vulnerable patches exist to plug the gaps”.
Referring to use of drones by Pakistani rangers for air dropping of weapons, IG BSF said, “As of now no incident of drone was reported along International Border in Jammu Frontier. He said if any such challenge arises on our side, we are ready to counter it. “Our troops are well trained and capable enough to counter any challenge from across the border”, he added.
The water bodies dotting the International border also pose a challenge to the BSF jawans due to hostile terrain in the vicinity.
According to a senior BSF officer of Jammu frontier, “Border areas prone to dense fog have been lit up using fog lights to fight poor visibility”. The BSF officer said our jawans are on high alert and covering the entire length of 190 km long International border between Pahadpur and Akhnoor on foot.
According to a recent security assessment made by various agencies, “following fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir, the entire focus of the militant handlers has been shifted to the launching pads spread across the plain areas in Sialkote sector facing Jammu frontier”.
Official sources said, the local commanders of BSF units deployed along Samba and Kathua sectors have been directed to maintain tight vigil along the vulnerable spots where Pak rangers have aided infiltrators in the past to dig out cross border tunnels to help infiltrators sneak inside the Indian territory.
According to various intelligence agencies, the militant handlers are growing desperate as they are not able to push heavily armed infiltrators inside the Indian territory in the wake of heightened alert along the line of control. These militants handlers, under pressure from Pakistan based intelligence agency ISI is awaiting golden opportunity to push small groups of infiltrators inside the Indian territory.
Highly placed sources claimed small groups of infiltrators have been camping close to the launching pads along the line of control and International border to sneak inside the Indian territory.
Meanwhile, the security along the Jammu Pathankot National Highway dotted with vital security installations has also been beefed up.
Jawans of Border Security Force (BSF) have been directed to carry out random patrolling drills especially in the wee hours to foil fresh infiltration bids along the International border across Jammu frontier.
To pin down heavily armed infiltrators, the BSF jawans have been relying on sophisticated gadgets namely night vision devices and thermal imagers to detect their exact location.