Search operations on in Rajouri, Poonch to detect border tunnels

Arjun Sharma

Jammu, December 27

Personnel of the Army, the BSF and the police on Wednesday searched through villages along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri and Poonch districts besides the international border in Samba district to ascertain if there were any cave (hideout) and tunnel for terrorists to infiltrate. The search operation has been conducted in the wake of the recent ambush of two Army vehicles in Poonch by a group of terrorists.

Along the LoC, the Army searched for natural caves where terrorists could be hiding, while along the border the BSF and the police searched for cross-border tunnels which could be used by terrorists to infiltrate into this side of the border.

The security forces also held discussions with local villagers and asked them to provide information in case they detect any drone activity or any unknown person in their area. The Army has also detected at least seven routes from where terrorists could enter the Indian territory in Rajouri and Poonch. Such routes have been plugged.

In many areas, terrorists sneak through the LoC taking advantage of the topography. There are many nullahs in Rajouri and Poonch close to the LoC which can be crossed when the flow of water is low.

Samba DSP Garu Ram Bhardwaj said a search operation had been launched along the international border in Samba to detect if there were any cross-border tunnels dug up by militants close to the fence. The search operation by the police and the BSF was carried out in Mango Chak, Dulma Chal among other villages.

According to officials, this has been done as a precautionary measure due to the intense fog along the borderline. Security forces have also launched fresh search operations along the LoC in Kirni sector in Poonch following reports of suspicious movement in the area. There have been many instances wherein arms and ammunition were dropped through drones in Samba and Jammu district in the recent past.

Meanwhile, a search operation in the forest area of Dera Ki Gali continued even on the seventh day of the ambush of the Army vehicles in which four soldiers were killed. The Army is using dog squads, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and human intelligence to hunt down the terrorists. Mobile internet services will remain suspended in Rajouri and Poonch for the fifth day in a row.

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.

#Border Security Force BSF #Jammu #Poonch #Rajouri