In a bid to detect the possible infiltration point on the India–Pakistan border through which Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) suicide bombers were pushed into the Indian territory prior to PM Narendra Modi’s visit here,
BSF on Monday launched a massive scan along the barbed wire fence in the Jammu division.
It is learnt that BSF personnel were trying to detect whether the terrorists, who were killed in an encounter with security forces, infiltrated through some freshly bored tunnel across the border.
BSF authorities had earlier denied reports of infiltration through the international border, but have now undertaken the scanning exercise as interrogation of the three persons involved in transporting these terrorists to Jammu has revealed that they were lifted by a Kashmiri trucker from near Sapowal in Samba that is close to the border.
The J&K Police was quick in tracking down those who helped these terrorists. Three persons, Bilal Ahmed, Mohammad Ishaq Chopan and Shafiq Sheikh have been held by the police for questioning.
These terrorists were Pakistani nationals. Among half dozen terrorists killed in Kashmir in past four days, three were also Pakistanis.
NIA has been assigned investigation of the case. NIA chief Kuldeep Singh personally visited the encounter spot.
Pakistani ISI and Rangers were for past some time pushing in terrorists through deep cross-border tunnels. Four such tunnels were detected in the past few months.
The two heavily armed Pushto speaking terrorists were eliminated near the strategic Sunjwan Military Station of the Army two days before arrival of the PM on Sunday. However, it is yet to be established whether the number of terrorists was two or three as bodies of two terrorists were recovered from the encounter spot but three weapons were found there. Efforts are being made to track down the third terrorist.
The explosion on Sunday morning few kilometres from venue of Modi’s rally at Palli in Samba district was also a worrying factor.
Home Ministry had some time ago installed sophisticated equipment on the border to detect infiltration of terrorists from Pakistan.
During initial interrogation the arrested helpers of the slain terrorists are believed to have told the police that they might have infiltrated on 20 April with the intention to indulge in some major attack before the PM’s rally.
On the other hand, four successive explosions within few days in the border town of Kotranka in Rajouri were also being investigated by the police.