Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 3: Heavy movement of militants has been observed across Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) by the security agencies, manning the borders, even as Intelligence inputs revealed that the militants were desperate to sneak into this side with the support of covering fire from Pakistan Army and Rangers.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Army and BSF personnel manning the forward posts on the LoC in twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and Jammu sector on the IB respectively have reported that a number of militants have been camping at launching pads of Pakistan and PoK awaiting an opportunity to infiltrate into this side under the cover of firing by the Pakistan Army and Rangers.
“Some of the militants have mixed up in the camps of Pakistan Army and BSF in their uniform and were staying with them. The militants moved out of the camps of Pakistan security agencies during the night quite often searching for the infiltration routes to make an attempt to enter into this side’’, they said, adding that majority of infiltration routes have been plugged.
However, the Pakistan Army and BSF did manage to push the militants from the launching pads towards the LoC and IB to infiltrate into this side but their attempts have been thwarted almost all the times especially in Jammu region. Sources, however, admitted some successful infiltration attempts on the LoC in the Kashmir Valley during which some militants managed to enter into this side and successfully reached their hideouts.
Exact number of the infiltrators’ was anybody’s guess, sources said but conceding that some infiltration attempts of the militants in the Valley have been successful.
Sources said almost all incidents of firing and ceasefire violations by Pakistan Army and Rangers on the LoC and the IB had been aimed at pushing militants into this side as they were under tremendous pressure to ensure successful infiltrations. The militants from this side had been making frantic calls to their commanders in Pakistan and PoK seeking increase in their strength and consignments of weaponry to carry out attacks and revive militancy.
However, due to strict surveillance on the LoC and the IB and installation of electronic gadgets, Pakistan Army and the Rangers have been finding it very difficult to push the infiltrators into this side to boost sagging morale of the militants.
According to estimates of Intelligence agencies, there were at least 300 militants, who had been camping across LoC and IB opposite Jammu sector awaiting an opportunity to enter into this side.