With the detection of a freshly dug oxygen fed cross-border tunnel along the international border (IB) in the Samba district of Jammu, the BSF has foiled the nefarious designs of Pakistan based terrorists to target the upcoming Amarnath pilgrimage that begins on 30 June.

BSF on Wednesday evening during a special drive detected the professionally built tunnel originating from Pakistan. During a further search of the tunnel on Thursday, a 265 ft long pipe for pumping oxygen during infiltration of terrorists was found, said a BSF officer. This is for the first time that an oxygen pipe has been found in a narrow cross-border tunnel built by Pakistani agencies for pushing terrorists into India.

The road route for the Amarnath pilgrimage (Pathankot–Jammu–Srinagar highway) passes through Samba near where the tunnel has been detected. The highway is a few kilometres from the IB.

DIG BSF SPS Sandhu in a statement on Thursday said this is the fifth cross-border tunnel for pushing in terrorists detected in past less than 18 months.
Detection of the tunnel in the area of Border Observation Post (BOP) Chak Faquira opposite the samba area has dented the nefarious designs of Pakistan.

This tunnel detection was the result of rigorous and consistent efforts of BSF troops during a fortnight-long anti-tunnelling exercise carried out in this area. The tunnel is freshly dugout and is suspected to be about 150 metres long originating from the Pakistan side. With the detection of this tunnel, BSF Jammu has foiled the nefarious designs of Pakistan based terrorists to disrupt the upcoming Amarnath pilgrimage.

The tunnel opening is about 2 feet and so far 21 sand bags have been recovered which were used to strengthen the exit of tunnel. Detail search of the tunnel will be carried out during the day.

IG BSF Jammu Frontier DK Boora lauded the devotion and dedication of BSF troops in detecting this tunnel. This is the fifth tunnel detected in less than one and a half years.

This has exposed the evil strategy of Pakistan’s establishment to create trouble in India. BSF has been always been in the forefront to safeguard the borders and create a sense of security among border population, he said.
The IG added that the efforts of BSF will continue further to detect any other possible tunnels.

The freshly dug cross-border tunnel had its opening just about 50 metres from the border fencing.

Reports said the cross-border tunnel originating from a Pakistani border post of Rangers at Chaman Khurd (Fiaz) was detected at Chak Faquira Border Observation Post (BOP) of 48 Battalion BSF.

The special exercise to trace tunnels was launched by the BSF after two Pakistani suicide bombers of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit were killed in an encounter in Jammu just two days before the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The case has already been handed over to National Investigation Agency (NIA).

BSF had initially denied any infiltration through the border but the search for fresh tunnels was launched when two arrested OGWs, who transported the terrorists in a truck, during interrogation revealed that they had picked up two Pakistani terrorists, including one Pushto speaking, from Samba and dropped them here.