The force has launched a major search operation in the area to search for other hidden structures to aid infiltration, including while analyzing the detected structure, they said.
BSF Director General Rakesh Asthana has ordered his border commanders to ensure that the anti-infiltration network is intact and that there are no breaches on this front, they added.
The tunnel, some 50 meters from the border fence on the Indian side, was located by a BSF patrol on Thursday in the Samba sector of Jammu.
The force subsequently examined the tunnel and found plastic sandbags in its mouth that bore “Pakistani markings,” authorities told PTI.
We received information about the existence of a tunnel in the Samba area (of Jammu and Kashmir). A special team found the… https://t.co/nv54PVkJDt
– ANI (@ANI) 1598692609000
The tunnel, according to sources, is about 25 feet deep at the opening and the border force has launched a mega search operation along the IB in this area to detect any other clandestine structures that may help infiltrators to cross. from Pakistan. side and also help in the smuggling of weapons and drugs.
About 8 to 10 plastic sandbags that have “Karachi and Shakargarh” written on the tunnel opening and the bags have an embossed manufacture and expiration date indicating they were recently manufactured, authorities said.
The closest Pakistani border post is about 400 meters from the tunnel, they said.
The force has been conducting a mega ‘anti-tunnel campaign’ in the IB areas of Jammu and elsewhere after five armed infiltrators were recently killed along this front in Punjab.
The entire BSF formation deployed along the 3,300 km international border that runs along Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat is on additional alert as there are multiple intelligence entrances of terrorists attempting to violate the IB and infiltrate in India, authorities said.
The border force is also considering deploying ground-penetrating radars to detect tunnels along this sensitive front that is prone to infiltration by terrorists from Pakistan and cross-border smuggling of weapons and narcotics.
The BSF has also detected tunnels along the Jammu border front.
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