‘Can’t be dug without Pak support’
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 25: Director General of Police RR Swain today indicated that the terrorists might be using a tunnel for infiltration into Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan and said the tunnel can’t be dug without knowledge or support of the Pakistan army.
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In an interview to a national weekly magazine, Swain while responding to a question on whether there is any evidence of Pakistan support to the terror attacks in Jammu, asked: “Can a tunnel be dug from the other side without the knowledge or support of the Pakistan army? Usually, the length of these tunnels caries between 350 to 600 metres and it will take at least 30 days for digging up’’.
The police chief said these activities can’t be hidden from anyone as it requires logistical support and manpower to make it operational. There will be movement in the area when the terrorists use it and this cannot be done without the knowledge of Pakistani side, he added.
Replying to another question whether the terrorists belong to Khyber Paktunkhwa region of Pakistan and are trained alongside the Taliban, Swain said two suicide attackers who attempted a terror strike days before Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu were non-Urdu and non-Sindhi speakers and in all probability spoke Pashto.
“Pakistan has a sizeable Pashto-speaking population on its side of the Durand Line even though it is the language of the dominant population in the Southern and Eastern regions of Afghanistan,’’ the UT police chief said.
On whether security environment allows the peaceful conduct of Assembly elections, Swain said they are committed to it and don’t see that as a challenge.
“We overcame these challenges during Parliamentary polls (held in April-May this year) and the outcome was extremely encouraging as a large number of people participated in the polling process,’’ he added.
Swain said the Village Defence Guards are being supported while border police stations are being set up. The VDGs are being equipped with Night Vision Devices, better equipments and technology to create a deterrent.
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