Indian military officials foiled an infiltration bid across the Line of Control on Friday — detaining one militant and seizing arms and ammunition. The incident comes mere days after the BSF indicated that Pakistan had rebuilt and reactivated 72 terror launchpads along the Jammu frontier since Operation Sindoor. Reports suggest that the accused (identified as Abdul Khalik) was a member of the Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist outfit.
Officials told PTI that the BSF has put troops on alert along the IB from Jammu to Kathua sectors and has been conducting combing operations in the areas along the IB for the past fortnight as part of its winter strategy.
Suspected JeM terrorist nabbed
According to an Indian Express report citing police sources, Khalik had crossed into Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir in 2021. Officials said they had seized an MP5 rifle, along with a magazine and 10 bullets, as well as an empty drum magazine. Sources told the publication that BSF had noticed suspicious movement across the border two days earlier and accordingly intensified their vigil and patrolling along the barbed wire fence.
Intensified counter-terror measures
The Army, BSF and police have recently stepped up counter-terrorism measures along the border (as well as the hinterland) following reports that Pakistan has reactivated a large number of terrorist launch pads across the International Border and the LoC in Jammu province. BSF Deputy Inspector General Vikram Kunwar told reporters earlier this month that at least 70 terror launch pads had seen a resurgence in the area.
“While 12 terror launch pads have become active near the International Border in Pakistan’s Sialkot and Zafarwal areas, another 60 launch pads have come up in the areas across the LoC [near Jammu],” he had said.