Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 18: The Border Security Force (BSF) personnel in a patrol vehicle had a narrow escape when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off seconds after their vehicles crossed over the International Border at forward area of Mangu Chak in Samba sector this morning.
Planted by the militants, the IED reported to have been detonated by a remote control device, official sources said.
They said the site of blast was close to SM Khwara Post of Mangu Chak forward area where a group of five to six militants had tried to infiltrate into Indian territory on the night of Monday. The BSF had foiled the intrusion bid.
Sources said the IED was of very low intensity and wouldn’t have caused much damage. It was, however, aimed at disrupting the flood lighting work being carried out on the International Border as it would block all possibilities of infiltration attempts by the militants.
“It was a chance that a BSF vehicle passed from near the site few second before the blast”, sources said, adding the militants camping across the International Border and the Rangers were deeply frustrate over their miserable failure to push militants into this side in view of high alert maintained by the BSF jawans.
According to sources, on Monday night when the intrusion bid was foiled by the BSF jawans with retaliatory firing on the ultras, at least two intruders had been injured. The BSF jawans had seen through their Night Vision Devices the militants being carried on shoulders by their four fleeing associates.
The intercepts revealed that one of the injured militant appeared to have died on other side of the border.
To take revenge of the killing, the militants with the help of Rangers appeared to have planted a low intensity IED on this side of the border either to cause casualties among the security personnel or create panic among the workers engaged in flood lighting work. However, the militants failed in their designs, sources said, adding the BSF officers and jawans conducted searches in the area after the blast and recovered one detonator, one battery cell and some plastic material indicating that the IED had been fabricated there.
The material was recovered between Pillar Nos. 144 and 145.
The Bomb Disposal Squad and BSF jawans of 182 battalion conducted searches in the area but didn’t find any other IED or signs of movement of the militants. The BSF jawans have been maintaining a high alert in the area anticipating that the ultras could make a fresh intrusion bid from other side of the border.
Meanwhile, BSF jawans and Rangers held a flag meeting Chamliyal forward area in Ramgarh sector of Samba district for half an hour this morning as the BSF wanted to remove `sarkanda’ from near the IB in preparations of upcoming Baba Chamliyal mela.
The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, sources said, adding the BSF would shortly start preparations for the mela along with civil and police administration.
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