Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 8: Following spurt in infiltration attempts along the International Border (IB), additional companies of Indian Reserve Police (IRP) have been deployed to strengthen second line of protection behind the BSF while all Village Defence Committees (VDCs) and Panchayats have been mobilized to keep surveillance on the anti-social elements.
Official sources told the Excelsior that additional companies of IRP have been deployed in forward villages of Hiranagar and Samba sectors while more cops would be moved towards other vulnerable sectors like Arnia and RS Pura in the next couple of days to strengthen police presence in all border villages to serve as effective second line on the IB behind the BSF and ensure that if the militants managed to infiltrate from Pakistan, they were trapped in the villages.
During past over one week, the BSF has successfully thwarted five infiltration attempts by the militants along the International Border in Hiranagar and Samba sectors and forced the militants to retreat to Pakistan. The BSF has reports that 60 dreaded fidayeen militants of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) outfit were camping in Sialkot sector of Pakistan opposite Samba and Hiranagar.
“The militants were desperate to infiltrate. One of the major reasons being mentioned for desperation among the militants was United State President Barrack Obama’s visit to India on January 26. The militants wanted to carry out terror attack before the visit of Obama,” sources said, adding the Pakistani Rangers were trying to facilitate infiltration by the militants under the cover of dense fog on the borders.
Though there has been no successful infiltration attempt on the borders, police too was not taking any chances ahead of Republic Day. In addition to deployment of additional police personnel of IRP in the border villages, police authorities have also activated the existing VDCs and Panchayat members. The VDCs have been asked to maintain strict surveillance in their areas during the night while the Panchayat members were asked to aware the people about any movement of anti-national elements.
Meanwhile, there was no major incident of mortar shelling or firing along the IB in Hiranagar and Samba sectors today.
“There was no ceasefire violation on the IB today. Since yesterday afternoon, the border has been calm. Most of the live mortar shells have also been defused,” sources said but added that nearly 10,000 border villagers continued to stay in the relief camps in Samba and Hiranagar as they were reluctant to return anticipating fresh round of firing from Pakistan.
The border villagers, who were terrified by intense mortar shelling by Pakistan Rangers deep inside the villages, were not taking any chances. They didn’t want to return until there was any flag meeting between BSF and Rangers or other kind of assurance from security agencies or civil and police administration, sources said, adding that even the administration was also not advising the people to return to their homes till complete peace prevailed on the borders,
However, several male members of the border migrants visited their houses in forward villages today to feed the cattle. They stayed there for the day but returned to the relief camps tonight.
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