Hunt for tunnels in border area, 2 Pak villages under watch

Amritsar: The threat of militant infiltration and arms dropping by drones ahead of the Republic Day has forced the Border Security Force (BSF) to start an anti-tunnelling operation along the zero line and train its binoculars on two infamous Pakistani border villages.
The operation is most intense in the Gurdaspur sector of the 553-km Pakistani border in Punjab, since it adjoins Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory and was the centre of Pakistani ‘fidayeen’ (suicide squad) attacks at Dinanagar police station on July 27, 2015, and the Pathankot Air Force station on January 2, 2016. Pakistan’s Masrur Bara Bhai and Ikhlaqpur opposite BSF’s Dhind and Paharipur outposts have been launchpads for JeM and LeT terrorists. Also, there are fresh intelligence reports of infiltration attempts from there.
Delay in installing anti-drone technology along the Pakistan border in Punjab and disappointing results of the Long-Range Reconnaissance and Observation System (LORROS) deployed to detect drones and hostile movement from the enemy’s soil have added to the security challenge. LORROS was installed around the Dhinda BoP, 12 km from the Sambha region of J&K UT, for day-and-night surveillance. BSF inspector general for Punjab frontier Asif Jalal said: “Operation Alert launched to strengthen security along the Pakistani border will continue till January 28.”
Gurdaspur additional deputy commissioner Nidhi Kumudh Bamboo said the district administration had banned the flying of drones in 25-km radius of the international border to prevent the smuggling of arms and drugs.