Suspicious tunnel detected in Samba village J&K
A suspicious tunnel detected at village Jarai in Ghagwal area of Samba district this morning kept security forces and Intelligence agencies on toes though it was about three kilometers away from the International Border. Suspicious tunnel detected in Samba village J&K
Army, BSF, police and Intelligence sleuths rushed to village Jarai in Ghagwal area soon after a civilian detected a suspicious tunnel. The spot was cordoned off and experts visited the spot. Machines were used to go deep but the dugout area was not very large, the officials said.
“Though it looked like a small tunnel but it was nearly three kilometers away from the International Border and it’s direction was also not towards Pakistan,” the officials said but added that detailed investigations were carried out before ruling out the terror angle.
Security forces, however, took no chance as the area has history of tunnels close to the International Border with Pakistan which were used for infiltration of terrorists into Jammu region from Pakistan. In 2019 also, a tunnel was detected in the area. Join telegram group for all updates
In Samba and Kathua districts, a number of tunnel have been unearthed in the past.
The Border Security Force (BSF) which mans the International Border in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts regularly undertakes drive to detect tunnels in the area.
Recently, police had also announced reward for detection of tunnels on the border.
Police had earlier intercepted and eliminated terrorists in several encounters on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway including Nagrota and Jhajjar Kotli who had infiltrated from the International Border using tunnel and were on way to Kashmir in trucks.
While security agencies said the matter is under investigations, SSP Samba Benam Tosh said the tunnel has nothing to link it with militancy as it was not only far away from the International Border in Pakistan but it’s direction was also different.
A suspicious tunnel detected at village Jarai in Ghagwal area of Samba district
After a few hours of digging near a deep pit, no tunnel was discovered, they said. “There is no tunnel. It is a pit. There is nothing to worry about,” they said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Samba, Benam Tosh, also refuted claims of tunnels in the area, clarifying that it is just a hole.
“All agencies have carried out thorough checking, and no tunnel was found,” he said.
Meanwhile, troops along the International Border (IB) have been placed on alert in anticipation of the consecration ceremony of the Ram temple on January 22 and Republic day.
Security measures in the border area have been intensified to ensure the prevention of untoward incidents along the borderline, sources said.
Night curfew has been imposed along the IB in Samba district to ensure better area domination by BSF troops and to foil any nefarious activities close to the borderline, according to an official order.
The step was taken to prevent cross-border infiltration and smuggling of weapons through drones in the extreme foggy weather conditions prevailing along the India-Pakistan border line, said the order issued by District Magistrate Abhishek Sharma on Sunday.