Massive BSF operation to uncover tunnel across border in J&K

The Border Security Force (BSF) has launched a massive operation along the International Border (IB) to uncover a tunnel through which armed infiltrators are suspected to have sneaked inside Kathua district, a senior official said on Wednesday.

"An operation has been started to uncover the tunnel," BSF's IG, Jammu Frontier, Ram Awtar said.

He said the BSF has inducted several JCB machines, a large number of troops and other types of manpower into the area and a search was going on.

On Tuesday, BSF DG K K Sharma had termed Pakistan's attempts to push infiltrators across the border including the latest instance which comes days ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir on May 19, as "very serious".

The BSF and Army troops have detected six cross-border tunnels along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu region since 2012. These were used to infiltrate militants from the Pakistan side into Jammu and Kashmir.

Failure to detect the tunnel, through which five militants are suspected to have sneaked into Kathua district ahead of the Prime Minister's visit has caused fear among residents of the border belt.

Villagers of Bobiyan and Londi have been praying for early detection of the tunnel, as they apprehend Pakistan may try to push more militants through the route to trigger terror attacks in the region.

"We pray for early detection of this tunnel. Our fears are increasing day by day due to delays," Dalbir Singh, Bobiyan villager, said.