150-metre long tunnel dug up to infiltrate terrorists: Army

, Sep 2: A 150 metres long tunnel which was recently discovered ear a forward post along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu region's sensitive Pallanwala sector, was apparently aimed at infiltrating terrorists, Defence spokesperson said here today.

"Having failed to infiltrate terrorists across the Line of Control in the Jammu Division, there was an attempt to construct a tunnel across the Line of Control (to facilitate infiltration)", he said. The tunnel, which was discovered on 22 August 2014, was approximately 130 to 150 meters in length on own side of the Line of Control (LoC) and originated on the Pakistan Side, spokesman said.

The tunnel was approximately 20 feet below ground level and was four feet high, he added. A senior Army officer at Udhampur-based Northern Command headquarters felt that tunnel has been dug up with origin from Pakistan with a design probably to push in terrorists and carry out smuggling of weapons and drugs and narcotic substances to keep the pot of militants boiling.

However, we have not got any evidence in this regard so far, the officer said. The alert Indian Army personnel deployed along the Line of Control in the sector thwarted the nefarious designs of the terrorists and prevented major terrorist incidents by discovering the tunnel before it could be completed, spokesman said.

The alert area domination patrol of the Indian Army noticed a depression in the ground and after investigating the same with ground penetrating radar and other equipment, discovered that the tunnel, he said. Earlier, Defence Spokesman issued a handout on 23, August, 2014 and said "On 22 Aug 2104, Army personnel deployed in Pallanwala Sector of Jammu District during routine patrolling found a tunnel approximately 50 meters on Indian side of the Line of Control".

PTI