Infiltrations belie official claim
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Rajouri, February 2
Even as the army authorities may claim fall in the infiltration level in the recent past in the state, but the recent infiltration trends suggest that it has actually increased in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch. The intelligence sources said that not only the infiltration bids had increased along the Line of Control (LOC) in these twin border districts, but also the infiltrators have successfully managed to sneak into this side.

Just today, reliable intelligence sources disclosed that four infiltrators "successfully" managed to sneak into this side near Ghora Post in Mankote sector of the frontier district Poonch. They said that infiltrators crossed over to India in the wee hours. They further said infiltration of the four militants was facilitated by the Pakistan's army during the exchange of fire with the Indian army.

Intelligence sources further said that the infiltration had occurred in the area manned by the Gorkha Regiment. They further said the intelligence agencies had already informed the army unit regarding the possibility of infiltrators attempting to sneak through their area of responsibility but despite that the infiltrators managed to infiltrate.

Intelligence sources claimed that about a week back, a group of five to six infiltrators had managed to successfully sneak to this side whereas one of the infiltrators was killed by the Army in Keeri Battla sector in the Sunderbani area of this border district. Two army personnel had also sacrificed their lives while foiling the infiltration bid. They said after a few days the same militants were spotted by the villagers in Khour block of Akhnoor Tehsil in Jammu.

The intelligence sources may be confirming infiltrators managing to successfully infiltrate to this side, but the army authorities here remain tight-lipped about such attempts.

A defence spokesperson told TNS on phone from Jammu that no such attempt had taken place. “The infiltration attempts will be there, but the Army is competent enough to foil such attempts.”