Srinagar, April 26: Militants have shunned the “traditional” routes to infiltrate into Jammu and Kashmir and are now trying to sneak into the country through the Indo-Pakistan border along Punjab, security forces have said.
The suspicion gained credence on Sunday morning when the Punjab Police foiled an infiltration bid along the international border. Two militants and two policemen were killed in the encounter between the Pakistani infiltrators and the police near Ratarwan village in the Bhamial sector of Gurdaspur district.
The area is close to Punjab’s border with Jammu and Kashmir. The militants were spotted by a police patrol team near the border early in the morning. Punjab director general of police P.S. Gill said the identities of the slain militants were yet to be ascertained.
The police and security agencies have launched a search operation in the villages along the border to see if any more militants are hiding there, Gill said.
A large quantity of arms and ammunition, including two AK- 47 guns, pistols and cartridges, were seized from the spot after the encounter.
Jagir Singh, deputy inspector general ( DIG) of the Border Security Force ( BSF), Punjab Frontier, said: “ Terror outfits have probably started exploring the Punjab border as a new route for entering India.” “ The fresh infiltration bid through Gurdaspur on the international border with Pakistan is a new phenomenon,” he added.
Singh said the militants possibly wanted to enter Jammu’s Kathua district from Gurdaspur.
Intelligence sources said terrorists usually take the Kathua- Bani route to reach the Doda and Kishtwar districts, a hotbed of terrorism.
The terrorists have been exploring fresh routes to infiltrate because the security forces deployed on the International Border and the Line of Control ( LoC) are equipped with gadgets such as night- vision binoculars and movement sensors. This makes it impossible for the intruders to enter Jammu and Kashmir.
A successful infiltration bid through Gurdaspur was reported on April 19. The police in Jammu said a group of five terrorists was suspected to have split into two groups.
“ These ( five) terrorists entered India from the Pakistan side under the cover of heavy firing a few days ago through a big nallah,” he said.
Rockets were fired from the Pakistan side on April 19 in the Bhamial sector and about 10 metres of barbed fencing on the international border was blown up.
The BSF had retaliated with light and medium machine guns but the militants succeeded in entering India.
One group had entered the Kathua district and the other had probably taken shelter near Ratarwan. Kathua’s senior superintendent of police Gareeb Dass said the two infiltrators killed in Punjab could be affiliated to the same group.
Singh, however, said it was not possible to ascertain this as the identity of the slain ultras was not established.
Intelligence reports claim about 600 trained militants are waiting in the Sialkot sector and the Pakistan- occupied- Kashmir for a chance to infiltrate.
—Agencies