Palampur, May 01: With the massacre of 35 people five years ago still fresh in mind, security forces have been put on high alert along Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district bordering Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir to check infiltration of militants during summer months, a senior police official said here today. DIG, northern range, O C Thakur, who visited the bordering areas of Chamba district recently, said police posts in high altitude areas, which remained snowbound during the winter and acted as natural barriers, are vacated every year before the onset of cold. He said necessary instructions had been issued ordering the security forces to immediately move back to the pickets in forward areas. There were about 40 such posts along the border.
Thakur said the danger of infiltration of militants from Jammu and Kashmir increases every year with melting of snow and constant vigil along the border in alpine hills was required.
Although no militancy-related activity had been reported on either side of the border, adequate preventive steps and precautions were necessary.

Militants had gunned down 35 people in Kalaban and Satrundi areas of Chamba district in August 1998. Bureau Report