India to lodge protest over 'tunnel issue' with Pak: BSF

Asserting that "infiltration and smuggling" were intentions behind digging a 400-mt-long tunnel from Pakistan side into India in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba sector, BSF today said a strong protest would be lodged with Islamabad with full evidence.

"The objective must be to infiltrate people - that is what I suspect. Besides infiltration (of militants sitting on Pakistan side), smuggling of narcotics are objective of people on that side," Inspector General (IG), BSF Headquarters, New Delhi, S K Mishra told reporters here.

Mishra, who led a team from Delhi for inspection of the site in Chachwal border hamlet close to three-tier fencing along International Border in Samba sector, said militants might have dug the tunnel for infiltration.

"The purpose (of digging a tunnel into India from Pakistan) is known to everyone - to infiltrate and conduct smuggling from there," the IG BSF said.

The tunnel was detected on July 28 after an area caved-in in a straight line at two-three places due to rains near the border fencing near Chillayari Border Out Post (BoP) of BSF along the International Border in Samba sector.

The tunnel with a dimension of 3x3 feet is about 400 mt into Indian side from the IB, where pillars of demarcation stand. It is dug at a depth of 25 ft below the ground and also had a provision for air supply through a 2-inch pipe, Mishra said, adding,
"We are confirming whether the tunnel was made operational or opened up in this side."

"We are looking into all aspects. The tunnel is 300 mt up to border fencing and 100 mt beyond the fencing into this side of the border," he said. Mishra said a "strong protest note with all available evidence" would be lodged with Pakistan.