New Delhi: The BSF on Saturday said Pakistani
Rangers are building bunkers along the border which are very
"defensive" in nature and could be aimed at preventing
attacks from within its own territory.
"We have come across certain construction activities
across the border. In some of the instances the bunkers being
constructed are facing their own territory," BSF Director
General Raman Srivastava told reporters here.
He said it looks that building such defensive bunkers
could be a preventive measure in case of attacks on its border
posts by the Taliban or other militants.
On the BSF's role in the upcoming multi-state coordinated
offensive against Naxals, Srivastava said while five
battalions (about 5,000 personnel) have already been deployed
in the field, eight more battalions will be sent.
Giving an overview of the anti-Naxal operation, which is
set to begin by March-end, he said the task force which has
been created with personnel from the CRPF, BSF and the ITBP,
will operate in the states' tri-junctions and bi-junctions.
Asked about the performance of the force's recently
raised women's wing, which has been posted for frisking duties
along the border, Srivastava said he was "extremely happy".
Srivastava said during his interaction with the women
constables, they had asked him to depute them at the border
and also make them a part of the anti-Naxal operations.
He said discussions are on to see what other duties can
be given to the women personnel.
The force is also imparting special training in water
warfare to some of its men in Gujarat on a trial basis, he
said adding, the personnel who are being trained to undertake
water-based operations would be put into use across the
force's deployment areas if it is successful.
About infiltration bids by militants from across the
border, he said there are various launching pads where they
are waiting to infiltrate.
He said the force is expecting a surge in infiltration
as the snowfall increases, because at times even the fence
comes under the snow.
"We have increased our patrolling and are fully prepared
to check any infiltration attempts," he said.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, November 28, 2009, 19:17