SRI NAGAR: In an important breakthrough, the Border Security Force (BSF) has detected a tunnel originating from Pakistan along the International Border (IB) in Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir and recovered sandbags with Karachi markings.
BSF IG, Jammu, N S Jamwal said the border guards deployed along the border in Samba had been receiving inputs about the existence of a tunnel from Pakistan. “Special teams were formed and anti-tunneling drive launched all along IB of Jammu region,” he said.
During the operation, the BSF men on Friday evening detected the 25-ft deep tunnel about 150 meters inside the border fencing in the field of a local farmer near Galar area.
The tunnel was about 3-4 feet in diameter and its mouth was reinforced with the sandbags. “Pakistan-made sandbags with marking of Shakargarh and Karachi factories were found at the mouth of the tunnel to hide it,” Jamwal said, adding that it appeared to be a freshly dug tunnel. The nearest Pakistani post across the border is nearly 400 metres from the tunnel, officials said.
This detection has foiled Pakistan’s nefarious design to facilitate terrorist infiltrations into India.
The BSF officer said it is clear digging such a long tunnel cannot take place without the hand of the Pakistan establishment.
In the past also, BSF had detected tunnels along the IB originating from the Pakistani side. Pulwama terror attack accused Muhammad Umar Farooq, the nephew of Jaish-e-Mohammad found Masood Azhar, had entered India through an underground tunnel in 2018, according to the NIA charge sheet.
In September 2017, BSF detected an unfinished 2.5 ft deep tunnel in Jammu’s Arnia sector. On February 13, the same year, it had detected a tunnel along the IB in Ramgarh sector of Jammu and recovered 2 AK-47 magazines, 1 hand grenade, 1 magazine pouch, 13 Duracell, 9 pencil cells, 3 head lamps used for digging, compass, three Haver sac among other things.