Kathua ambush: J&K, Punjab police, BSF discuss ways to strengthen security grid along IB

Jammu: Senior BSF and police officials from Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab on Thursday discussed ways to share real-time inputs and further strengthen the anti-infiltration grid along the International Border in a meeting in Kathua district, where five army personnel were killed in an ambush by terrorists three days ago.

The high-level coordination conference, which was also attended by officers from central agencies, was held to bolster the security apparatus and to focus on enhancing coordination and synergy among the Border Security Force (BSF), Punjab Police and Jammu and Kashmir Police, a police spokesperson said.

He said the primary agenda of the meeting was to conduct a comprehensive review of the current security situation and to devise robust strategies to counter the challenges.

The interstate security review meeting came against the backdrop of information that the terrorists behind the Monday ambush on an Army patrol could have infiltrated through the International Border (IB) either into Kathua and Samba districts in the Jammu region or Pathankot in Punjab, officials aware of the developments said.

The security grid along the IB in Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab was reviewed along with measures to plug any loopholes to counter infiltration from Pakistan, they said while giving details of the meeting that was held at the District Police Lines in Kathua and chaired by BSF Special Director General, Western Command, Y B Khuraia.

Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police R R Swain and his Punjab counterpart Gaurav Yadav were among those present at the more than three-hour-long meeting.

Strengthening coordination and sharing of real-time inputs among police and border guarding agencies were also discussed in detail with a focus on strengthening the synergy to counter terror threats, and smuggling of weapons and narcotics, the officials said.

They said the meeting was also attended by Special Director General, Internal Security, Punjab R N Dhoke, J-K Additional DGP (Law and Order) Vijay Kumar, Punjab ADG (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, ADG (Jammu Zone) Anand Jain and inspector and deputy inspector general-rank BSF and police officers of Punjab and Jammu.

“The menace of border smuggling, narcotics, arms, and contraband was deliberated upon. The officials reviewed recent seizures and intelligence inputs, identifying key smuggling routes and methods,” the police spokesperson said.

He said the meeting highlighted the importance of strengthening checkpoints, increasing frisking operations, and enhancing the capabilities of canine units.

At the meeting, the officers emphasized the importance of coordinated patrolling and the deployment of advanced technology, including drones and night-vision devices to monitor and secure the border effectively, the spokesperson said.

He said the officers also stressed the need for inter-agency cooperation and real-time information sharing to dismantle the narcotics networks. Following the presentation by concerned police and BSF officers of J&K and Punjab, in-depth discussions were conducted addressing key security concerns, he added.

In light of the discussions, the spokesperson said several strategic initiatives were proposed to augment the security framework along the border.

To foster better coordination and synergy between the BSF and Police forces of Punjab and J&K, the meeting recommended regular joint training sessions and drills, he said.

The meeting comes at a time when terror activity has increased in the otherwise peaceful Jammu region with terrorists managing to carry out five attacks within a span of one month -- between June 9 and July 8.

On the infiltration, the officials said the routes in Jammu, believed to have been used by the terrorists, were active when militancy was at its peak in the area over two decades ago. The Jammu region was cleared of terrorists but the revival of terror activities has led to serious security concerns.

They said it is believed that the terrorists after infiltrating reached the dense forests of Machedi that connects Basantgarh in Udhampur and Bhaderwah in Doda district. The Monday ambush was laid on the Machedi-Kindli-Malhar mountain road near Badnota village in Kathua.

More than 60 people have so far been detained for questioning in connection with the attack as a massive search for the terrorists entered its fourth day on Thursday.