Indian army foils Pakistani efforts to dig underground tunnel for infiltration

• 

As Indian army plugs the holes on the Line of Control (LoC), Pakistan is digging secret underground tunnels to explore alternative routes for pushing in infiltrators into Jammu and Kashmir in a bid to keep the terror mills grinding in the restive state.

Indian army recently discovered an under construction tunnel on the LoC in Jammu division which originated from the Pakistani side. With a length of the 130 to 150 meters and four feet high, the tunnel was drilled 20 feet deep inside the ground along the LoC.

"Having failed to infiltrate terrorists across the Line of Control in the Jammu division, there was an attempt to construct a tunnel across the Line of Control," said a defence spokesman at Jammu.

The tunnel was discovered when Indian army noticed a depression on the ground during the routine patrol on the LoC. Troops got suspicious and informed the higher ups about the sinking of earth.

"After investigating with ground penetrating radar and other equipment, they discovered that the tunnel was approximately 20 feet below ground level and was four feet high," said the defence spokesman.

With the timely detection of the tunnel, the Indian army has thwarted major terror plans of Pakistani militants. "The alert Indian Army personnel deployed along the Line of Control in the sector thwarted the nefarious designs of the terrorists and prevented major terror incidents by discovering the tunnel before it could be completed," said the spokesman.
This is second time in the last two years that security forces have discovered underground tunnels on the borders in Jammu division.

Pakistani efforts to explore new infiltration routes were foiled in July 2012 when Border Security Force (BSF) discovered 400 meter long and 25 feet deep underground tunnel originating from the Pakistani side on the Indo-Pak international border in Samba sector of Jammu division.

Meanwhile, security forces gunned down three militants who were holed up in a house in Hanjan village of Rajpora area in south Kashmir's Pulwama district.

"All the militants belonged to Jaish-e-Mohammad outfit," said Tejinder Singh, superintendent of police, Pulwama.

The gun battle started on Monday night after security forces received inputs about the presence of militants in the area. Police said when the area was being cordoned off the ultras opened fire on the forces triggering an encounter. The gun battle ended this afternoon after all the three ultras were killed.