Sunjwan attack: BSF launches drive to detect cross-border tunnels in Jammu border

"The BSF regularly carries outdrives to detect cross-border tunnels and presently it is underway within 400 meters of the border fence all along the IB in Jammu sector," official said

Taking cognisance of the recent fidayeen (suicide) attack by the infiltrated militants near a military installation at Sunjuwan on April 22, the Border Security Force (BSF) has launched a massive drive to detect cross-border tunnels along the International Border (IB) in Jammu.

Two fidayeen militants, who carried out terror attack ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Pali Panchayat block in Samba district of Jammu region, had reportedly crossed Daig Nullah along Indo-Pak border at village Supwal in Samba district and trekked some distance to board a truck waiting for them.

Both the militants, affiliated with the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit, besides a CISF officer, were killed in a five-hour-long gun battle that erupted just 48 hours before Modi’s first official visit to J&K after the abrogation of Article 370.

The police arrested three persons, including two truck operators, in connection with the attack. The arrested persons have not been able to tell the police whether the slain militants had crossed through an underground tunnel or breached fencing.

The BSF, which mans the 192 km of the IB in Jammu, has launched a drive to detect cross-border tunnels along the IB. A senior BSF official said no breaches were noticed in the border fence and the troops were looking for underground cross-border tunnels over the past five days.

“The BSF regularly carries outdrives to detect cross-border tunnels and presently it is underway within 400 meters of the border fence all along the IB in Jammu sector,” he said and added they were checking the border areas manually and also using sophisticated gadgets to eliminate any threat.

Last year, the BSF detected two tunnels that originated from across the IB in the Kathua district. In the past decade, 10 such tunnels have been unearthed by the force. Since last year, another threat posed by the use of drones by Pakistan is also being taken care of, the officer said.

Sources told DH that with infiltration along the IB and Line of Control (LoC) becoming difficult due to strict vigil by the security forces in recent years, Pakistani spy agency ISI sometimes uses secret underground tunnels in the Jammu region to infiltrate ultras and weapons.