Jammu, Dec 25: Security forces have ramped up vigilance along the International Border (IB) in Jammu and in frontier districts of neighbouring Punjab following intelligence inputs about potential terrorist infiltrations from Pakistan.
An official said the alert comes amid dense fog conditions expected to persist for at least a month, providing cover for such attempts, especially as New Year’s Eve approaches.
“After heightened security measures in Jammu, Samba, and Kathua districts, the Border Security Force (BSF) has extended the high alert to Punjab’s border regions,” the official added.
According to the inputs terrorists camping on the Pakistani side may shift their infiltration routes to Punjab, exploiting the thicker fog in areas like Pathankot and Gurdaspur, which border Kathua in Jammu.
“Additional deployments have been made along the IB in Punjab, particularly in Gurdaspur and Pathankot, to counter any attempts by terrorists to cross over,” sources said.
“Searches are being conducted in various border zones. This move echoes past incidents, including an infiltration attempt a couple of years ago where terrorists crossed into Pathankot and used rural belts along the Kathua-Pathankot border to advance into mountainous areas,” they added.
“Recent inputs indicate a group of three to four terrorists positioned close to the IB are waiting for an opportunity to cross over amidst inter fog,” sources said, adding, “Behind the frontline BSF personnel, Border Police, Special Operations Group (SOG), and Village Defence Guards (VDGs) are on heightened surveillance, particularly at night when infiltration risks are higher. Damaged fencing and border posts from August’s monsoon floods in Jammu-Kathua and Punjab sectors have been fully repaired and reconstructed.”
Senior BSF officers from Jammu and Punjab Frontiers are coordinating closely, with Western Command officials conducting regular inspections to ensure zero infiltration.
An official said, “Advanced gadgetry is in place to detect intrusions even in low visibility. The region has seen escalated threats this year.”
“Drone activities smuggling narcotics and arms have also increased along Punjab’s IB, with several attempts foiled by BSF and Punjab Police,” he added—(KNO)
