Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 7: A high level team of Geological Survey of India (GSI) from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh today found 10 meters extension of the tunnel on Indian side and three water bottles from inside the tunnel at forward village of Chechwal near the International Border in Samba sector as it started digging operations to find out exact length of the tunnel and its exit on this side.
Official sources said the GSI team headed by Chief Engineer Narinder Singh started its operations this morning and some of its members entered inside the tunnel and went deep into it. They brought out three water bottles of one and a half liters each from inside. Half of the bottles were still filled with water.
Sources said the water bottles, which were without any label, might have been used by Pakistanis while digging the tunnel. The labels from the bottles had deliberately been removed to erase evidence of Pakistan involvement as the water might have been carrying name of the Pakistani company.
Sources said the GSI team, which comprised Narinder Singh, Alok Kumar, S P Choubey, Om Prakash among others also collected some material inside the tunnel for survey. The water bottles have also been seized.
According to sources, the GSI teams dug up land about 10 feet ahead of tunnel and found it had been extended up to there. The team has identified three more points for digging tomorrow to find out further length of the tunnel and its exit route.
Sources said exit of the tunnel remained a mystery so far, which the GSI team was hopeful of working out.
The GSI team was trying to find out accurate direction of the tunnel so that its exit was found. So far nearly 350 meters length of the tunnel from zero line into Indian territory has been detected. The tunnel had been dug from Pakistan side on the IB to facilitate infiltration of the militants and smuggling of narcotics.
However, it was detected by a farmer on the evening of July 27 when he was going into his fields. The BSF swung into action next morning and dug out the tunnel.
Indian side has already lodged a very strong protest with Pakistan over digging of the tunnel.
Meanwhile, India today lodged strong protest with Pakistan over ceasefire violations along the Line of Control and the International Border in Samba and Poonch sectors yesterday in which two BSF jawans were injured.
“We have lodged a strong protest over the firing on Indian forward post and ceasefire violation in Poonch sector with Pakistan counterparts through hot-line today”, a senior Army officer said.
BSF troops had also lodged a strong protest with Pakistan Rangers over the ceasefire violations along International border (IB) in Kote Kuba Border out Post (BOP) in Arnia sector yesterday, official sources said.
There has been an increase in ceasefire violations along the Indo-Pak border after the detection of a Pakistani tunnel in Indian territory in Samba forward belt on July 27 and subsequent protest lodged by the BSF over it with Pakistan Rangers on July 31.
A similar situation had developed in the month of June this year in Poonch sector along the LoC when Pakistan violated the ceasefire five times by opening heavy small arms firing and rocket attacks on Indian posts in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch in which two jawans were killed and four others were injured.
There were five ceasefire violations between June 11 to June 16 this year along the LoC in Poonch sector.
Finally, Brigade Commanders’ flag meeting was held on June 23, 2012 at Chakan-Da-Bagh LoC point in Poonch sector to bring halt to Pak firing and peace along the border line and resumption of the cross-border trade and travel on Poonch-Rawlakote route.
Nearly 19 ceasefire violations have taken place this year followed by 51 cases in 2011, 44 cases of ceasefire violations along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir were registered in 2010 and 28 were in 2009.
“All activities across LoC are continuously monitored. Measures like strengthening of defence, deployment and redeployment of troops, infrastructure development and military modernisation are factored into our plans,” officials said.
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