An analysis by the intelligence agencies and the Border Security Force (BSF) has stated that the use of tunnels from across the border and frequent use of drones to deliver arms and ammunition at the international border between Indian and Pakistan is a part of the latter’s latest strategy to also keep the Jammu sector active other than just focusing on Kashmir.
Within three months, two long tunnels have been detected in Samba sector in Jammu. The first tunnel was found on August 29 and another 200-meter long and three feet wide was discovered on Sunday. The second tunnel was used by four terrorists who were killed last week in Nagrota near Jammu.
The BSF has started an anti-tunnel drive along the 3,300-km-long international border with Pakistan from Jammu to Gujarat to stop infiltrators from entering India. Officials aware of the matter said that it is also informing border residents to be watchful about any tunnel or suspicious movement in cases BSF patrols are not available.
A counter-insurgency officer said that many of these tunnels are dug under fields that are not easily visible to Indian troops because of tall elephant grass on the Pakistani side of the border. These tunnels are dug during the night. Officer said that Pakistan Rangers are expected to cut the grass on their side according to the agreements between both the nations. But Pakistan uses this grass to infiltrate drugs’ smugglers and terrorists to the Indian side.
He said that since, BSF is very alert on the border it has become very difficult for Pakistan to send infiltrators and arms from the [border] fence or open stretches. So, Pakistan is shifting to use other methods like tunnels and drones.
A second officer said that Pakistan has increased its activity across the border in Jammu as it is not able to make any impact in Kashmir as it is heavily guarded by army and central armed police forces. He said that Pakistan wants to keep the Jammu border active in order to claim before the international community that this side of the border is also contested as they call it a working boundary.
