Terror in J&K

July 29,2004

             Terrorist outfits using boys for infiltration

                                                                                                 S.P. Sharma

                                                                                         Tribune News Service 

 

Jammu, July 28

Pakistan-based terrorist outfits are using young boys as guinea pigs by making them infiltrate into Indian territory to find loopholes in the security arrangements.

 

The security forces during the past few days have arrested a number of infiltrators and eliminated the militant groups that had entered various border villages carrying a good quantity of remote-control explosive devices and grenades.

 

At least seven Pakistani nationals have been arrested during the current month at different places along the international border in Jammu district where they infiltrated from Pakistan. They were in the age group of 15 to 25 years. They have been sent to the joint interrogation centre of the BSF, state police and other central intelligence agencies.

 

A senior security officer today said that they were not taking the risk of handing back these persons to their Pakistani counterparts as it could lead to a breach of the security of the pilgrims. Although these persons have claimed that they inadvertently crossed the border, the BSF and other security agencies do not believe them and have pointed out that such a high number of infiltration during the "yatra" smells foul.

 

A top security officer suspected that these boys were being used as guinea pigs by the mentors of terrorism in Pakistan to find new routes for infiltrating the trained ultras. He said that such probing missions by the young Pakistani boys have increased eversince the Amarnath pilgrimage began.

 

A retired soldier of the Pakistani Army was arrested recently when he intruded into the Chicken Neck area of Akhnoor. It was being verified whether he was working for the Pakistani ISI that was spreading terrorism here.

 

During a meeting of officers of the BSF and Pakistani Rangers at Wagah in June, it was decided that both sides would immediately return those persons who inadvertently crossed the border. However, in this case the BSF was not taking any risk and would return these persons only after the Amarnath pilgrimage if they were found innocent.

 

The terrorists have been targeting the Amarnath pilgrimage almost every year. A number of persons were killed three years ago when the ultras attacked the base camp of the pilgrimage at Pahalgam. They made another attempt the very next year. The Vaishno Devi pilgrims were also attacked by terrorists at Katra, resulting in the death of eight of them.

 

Elaborate security arrangements have been made this time for the pilgrimage by deploying the Army, the BSF and the CRPF in strength. The convoy carrying the pilgrims is every day escorted by the BSF and the CRPF from here.