BSF DG Rajnikant Mishra on Friday said there have been several incidents of sniping and unprovoked firing along the LoC and IB but the BSF has effectively retaliated through a comprehensive retaliation plan.
The BSF is also making a scientific study during the last five years to effectively counter such incidents like barbaric killings of Jawans by Border Action Team of Pakistan. "We will come out with suggestions by which these actions or incidents can be prevented and if it requires to undertake some civil, mechanical or operational work, we will do that," Mishra said.
Mishra said the BSF has developed bullet-proof bunkers as an in-house initiative to protect its troops against fatal sniper fire and has "surgically" targeted enemy posts in the recent past causing heavy losses to the Pakistan Rangers. The BSF secures the frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The paramilitary is also undertaking a survey of the demographic and economic profile of villages on the western front as part of a "routine exercise" to map the area and keep the Government informed about any shift in demography and economic activities, a senior BSF official said.
"The BSF responded in a targeted and deliberate manner to unprovoked firing and sniping incidents as a result of which the Rangers (Pakistan's border guarding troops) were pinned down and confined to their posts. Unable to contain the BSF assault, the Rangers were forced to open the entire front and a heavy exchange of fire started on the entire International Boundary. BSF surgically targeted Pakistan posts in retaliatory firing which resulted in heavy losses to the adversary," Mishra said on the eve of the forces' 54th raising day.
To counter BSF men from enemy sharpshooters who fatally snipe the paramilitary jawans, the DG said, the force has developed in-house bullet-proof sentry bunkers which are expected to better protect troopers guarding the border posts.
"We have demonstrated this new gadget before the Union home minister (Rajnath Singh) when he recently went to Jaisalmer and we will soon replicate it on other border fronts including in Jammu. This has been developed in-house by the BSF," he said.
The new bunker is armour plated, has a periscope mounted on the top for wide vision and it can accommodate four jawans at a time.
The DG said the force undertakes "routine" ground analysis of the demographic and economic profile of the area and their intelligence and other operational teams "keep observing" activities along the Indo-Pak border sends a report to the Union Home Ministry every month.
Asked if the force recently conducted a study in Rajasthan's border town of Jaisalmer and reported that the population of Muslims was increasing, the DG said he was "not aware" of any such study or report.
On a question if the opening of the Kartarpur corridor between India and Pakistan could fuel revival of Khalistani militancy, Mishra said it was "not a difficult" thing for the BSF to manage as it has been doing a similar task along the Attari-Wagah border front in Punjab for decades.