Indo-Pak border fence breached; high alert sounded

Throwing security machinery into a tizzy, militants taking advantage of dense fog cut the barbed-wire fence along the Indo-Pak border for the first time, in a bid to carry out infiltration.

The incident, just a few days ahead of the Republic Day function, prompted the authorities to sound a high alert to thwart any infiltration attempt, a senior Border Security Force (BSF) officer told PTI today.

"During the checking of the fencing, we have detected that the fence has been cut by militants between pillar number 851 and 852, along the International Border in Abdullian Border Out Post area of Ranbir Singh border belt of Jammu district last evening," he said.

Under the cover of thick fog, the militants had cut nine wires on the Pakistani side and ten wires on the Indian side, thereby creating a gap to facilitate infiltration, he said.

During checking, it was found that the fence has been cut and immediately the BSF, CRPF, police and army were alerted, and massive searches conducted in the entire border belt and adjoining areas, 35 km from here.

This is for the first time that the fence has been cut and a gap created for infiltration of militants, the officer said.

"However, we feel there are less chances of militants sneaking into this side, as there is another fence 500 metres behind the zero line, which is intact," he said.

Search operations were on in the entire border belt of RS Pura, he said, adding "no footprints of infiltrators have been seen."