Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 11: Inspector General (Kashmir Frontier) of Border Security Forces (BSF), Ashok Yadav, today said that around 150 militants are waiting at launchpads across the Line of Control (LoC) to infiltrate into Kashmir but security forces would foil any such bid.
Yadav told reporters here in Srinagar that the number of militants at the launching pads usually varies between 130 and 150, at times it may be slightly higher.
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The BSF officer said attempts of infiltration continue to take place, adding that the security forces would ensure any infiltration attempt is thwarted.
“Based on the intelligence inputs we receive from various agencies, we coordinate with the army to establish a domination plan along the border,” he said.
“We also keep in mind the number of terrorists at the launching pads, which helps us shape our strategy and domination plan to ensure we foil any plans,” he said.
“Now, with winter approaching, preparations are in place. Before winter sets in, terrorists often attempt infiltration, and we are dominating the area accordingly,” he said, adding there are inputs about possible infiltration attempts along the LoC.
Yadav said the security forces coordinated closely with the police and the administration to ensure fair and peaceful polls.
“There were numerous threat inputs, but with our well-coordinated domination plan, we prevented any attack, and the elections were successful,” he added.
The IG BSF said while the security forces do not have specific inputs on militants trying to take advantage of the crises in West Asia “we keep these international developments in our analysis and factor them into our operational plans”.
On a question about narco-terrorism, Yadav said narcotics comes in from across the LoC and is a good source for terror financing.
“There are some villages along the LoC, some vulnerable patches like Tangdhar and Keran sectors, but we have deployed mobile bunkers and women troopers as well because there were inputs that they might use some women as couriers, to stop the inflow of narcotics. There has been a huge impact and we have been successful in bringing it down to a large extent,” he added.
The BSF officer said the forces strive to ensure that soldiers are trained not only in traditional aspects of border management such as weapon handling, firing, field craft and tactics and endurance activities, but also in the latest technology.
“With the evolving nature of technology, we have integrated various types of surveillance equipment into border management. Given the growing issue of drones, we are incorporating training on how to effectively use new technology for better border security.
“Additionally, we are utilising the Government of India’s platform, iGOT, which offers various types of training that we provide to our trainees,” he said.
The BSF officer was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of attestation ceremony for over 640 Border Security Force (BSF) recruits held today at the Subsidiary Training Centre, BSF, Humhama.
As per the BSF statement, the ceremony marked the induction of 674 recruits into the BSF as brave Seema Praharis in general duty.
The recruits, hailing from various States across India-including Madhya Pradesh (460), Chhattisgarh (87), Telangana (23), Tamil Nadu (95), Puducherry (6), Odisha (2), and Bihar (1)-underwent extensive training to prepare them for border security challenges.
IG BSF Yadav inspected the parade and commended the recruits for their self-confidence, skills and coordination. He encouraged them to serve the nation with courage and enthusiasm.
The chief guest also awarded medals to outstanding recruits and congratulated Commandant (CI), STC BSF Kashmir, and the instructional teams for their tireless efforts.
Five trainees from each batch received trophies for exceptional performance.
The 44-week training program equipped recruits with proficiency in handling various weapons, firing skills, border management, physical endurance, field craft and tactics, counter-terrorism, counter-insurgency, law & order, and human rights, among other skills.
The passing out parade was attended by senior officers from civil administration, the Army, Air Force, CRPF, SSB, J&K Police, media representatives, BSF personnel, and their families.
With its motto “Jeevan Paryant Kartavya,” the BSF has grown from 25 battalions in 1965 to 193 battalions with 270,000 personnel.
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