Jammu: Accusing the Pakistani Army and the
Rangers of facilitating infiltration, BSF chief Raman
Srivastava on Tuesday said the Indian Army and BSF have been
alerted along the border to foil attempts by a large number of
militants waiting at different launching pads to cross over.
"We have inputs from various sources that a large number
of militants are waiting at different points along the
International Border (IB) and the Line of Control (LoC) at
different launching pads in Pakistan to enter this side," he
told reporters at BSF headquarters here after placing a wreath
on the body of DIG O P Tanwar.
52-year-old Tanwar was killed yesterday in a blast
triggered by militants near the Indo-Pak border in Samba
district`s Ballad post where he had gone to conduct a combing
operation after the area came under fire from across border.
Srivastava said the entire border has been alerted. "The
Army has been alerted along LoC. We are alert on IB," he said.
"We are trying to prevent infiltration. We expect a surge
in infiltration before snow closes the passes. We know they
(militants) are going to try. They have tried in past. We have
repulsed them at many places."
Asked if Pakistani Rangers were involved in facilitating
infiltration, the BSF DG said the Pakistani Rangers and the
Army have "always" facilitated infiltration. "You see that it
is not an old thing. It is also nothing new".
To repeated questions on direct involvement of Pakistan
elements in triggering the blast in which the DIG was killed
and also in facilitating infiltration, he said, "We cannot say
it was done by the Pakistani rangers or ISI. We cannot pin
point who is directly responsible".
Srivastava said infiltrators were not allowed to cross the
border in the Ballard-Samba sector. "They were sent back, but
they left behind an IED which claimed the life of the DIG.
They will keep making attempts. It is our job to see that
their attempts do not succeed," he said.
Asked about increase in infiltration attempts along the
IB, he said the militants are getting frustrated. "When you
strengthen one area, they go for a weaker area. But we are
trying to see that no area is weak."
Terming the killing of the DIG as very unfortunate, he
said, "It was a tragic incident. The incident has happened. We
will have to check who did it. We have to find out and what we
should do about it."
Srivastava said, "We are taking it (killing of DIG BSF)
very seriously. We will see that appropriate action is taken
and appropriate responses are lodged (with Pakistan).
"We have already lodged a protest with Pakistan and, as
usual, they said we do not know anything. A DIG-level meeting
was held yesterday in which Brigadier Masood took part from
Pakistan side."
On whether a group of militants had infiltrated through
the Ballard-Samba sector yesterday, he said, "We have foiled
the infiltration bid as militants escaped when we retaliated".
The first to lay wreath on his body was wife of the
deceased officer Devyani Tanwar and his two children, followed
by DG BSF, Director General of Police J&K Kuldeep Khoda,
General Officer Commanding of 9 corps Lt Gen G M Nair and
Special DG BSF West P P Sandhu.
The body was later flown to his native place in Haryana.
Bureau Report
