Senior Officers from BSF, Punjab, J&K Police formulate unified strategy to counter infiltration along IB

Amid reports that terrorists involved in two attacks in Kathua district were fresh infiltrators from the International Border (IB), the Border Security Force along with Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab Police devised a joint strategy to frustrate evil designs of the terror mentors sitting across the border.

Today a high-level meeting of the senior officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, Punjab Police, and Border Security Force (BSF) was held at Kathua district of J&K to review the interstate security situation and to formulae a comprehensive policy to tackle the problem of infiltration.

Senior BSF and police officials gathered at a high-level interstate security review meeting in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua on Thursday, days after terrorists, who are believed to have infiltrated from across the International Border, ambushed an army patrol.

"Today a highly useful Inter-State Coordination Conference between BSF, J&K Police, Central Agencies, and the Punjab Police was held in Kathua, J&K, to focus on enhancing border security and synergy between the two State Police Forces and the Border Guarding Force.

The Conference was attended by Spl DG BSF Western Command, DGP J&K, DGP Punjab, and senior officers from the @PunjabPoliceInd, J&K Police, BSF, and Central Agencies for the exchange of best practices and exploring innovative solutions to bolster border management and public safety.

United in our commitment to seamless cooperation, we are dedicated to maintaining internal security in the border states of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab", DGP Punjab posted on his social media post after the meeting.

Top officials, including Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police R R Swain, Punjab counterpart Gaurav Yadav, and Special Director General of BSF, Western Command, Y B Khurania, attended a crucial meeting.

The focus was on reviewing the security grid along the International Border and addressing any vulnerabilities. Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Vijay Kumar from J-K and ADG (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla from Punjab, along with Inspector General-rank BSF officers, were also present.

The meeting discussed the infiltration of terrorists through the International Border, particularly their successful entry into the dense forests of Machedi, connecting Basantgarh in Udhampur and Bhaderwah in Doda district. Notably, this route was previously used during the peak of terrorism in the area two decades ago. Although the region had been cleared of terrorist presence, the recent resurgence of terror activities has raised serious security concerns.

Kathua witnesses two terror attacks in one month.

Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir witnessed two terror attacks within a period of a month. On Monday evening, terrorists ambushed an Army vehicle in the remotest village of Kathua.

Five army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, were killed and as many were injured when terrorists opened fire on two army vehicles on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar mountain road near Badnota village, about 150 km from the district headquarters of Kathua.

Earlier on June 12, two Pakistani terrorists made an abortive attempt to take some villagers of Saida Sukhal village in Hiranagar tehsil of the district.

Reports said that a group of two terrorists entered a house in Saida Sukhal area near Kootah Morh in Hiranagar tehsil of Kathua district. After entering the house, terrorists resorted to indiscriminate firing on the inmates of the house.

Although alert villagers foiled terrorists' attempt to take local hostage, it took security forces 15 long hours to eliminate the two terrorists who managed to sneak into this side of the border.

One trooper of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) lost his life in the line of duty while the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Jammu and Kashmir Police and Senior Superintendent of Police Kathua had a narrow escape after a terrorist fired a barrage of bullets on their vehicles.