The three-tier border fencing along the LoC has turned into a "death trap" for infiltrating militants, leading to desperation among militant ranks and has prompted repeated firings on Indian posts from across the border, the Army has said.
"It is impossible for infiltrating militants to cross over the three-tiered border fencing along LoC. There is desperation in militant leadership and Pakistani establishment due to failure to cross-over the fencing", Brig A Sengupta told PTI.
Commanding the front brigade deployed to guard the LoC in forward sectors, Sengupta said, "There is firing on the fencing at times from across due to desperation caused as a result of failure to push in armed militants this side. They are violating ceasefire, targeting Indian forward posts and resorting to mortar firing".
Armed with thermal imagers and surveillance equipment, the fencing from Malu (Akhnoor) in Jammu district to Kanzalwan in Kupwara district of Kashmir Valley covering 490 kms of LoC and 190 kms of International Border from Malu to Pathankote in Punjab has become a major hurdle for infiltrating militants.
As per intelligence reports, there are over 300 militants waiting across the LoC to infiltrate for the past 3 to 4 months but they are unable to cross over due to fencing and increased vigilance by troops and ground surveillance equipment, the Army officer said.
"They fire on posts to force jawans to keep their movement restricted to posts so that they can try and engineer infiltration of militants," he said.
"Not even a single infiltration has taken place this year in this sector. All infiltration bids have been foiled", Maj Gen V P Singh, who is looking after operational control of 220 kms long LoC in Rajouri-Poonch region, said.
Army feels the border fencing along the Indo-Pak border has virtually turned into a death trap for ultras, as 28 infiltrating militants were killed when troops foiled bids this year.
