The Border Security Force (BSF) has detected a trans-border tunnel originating from Pakistan apparently dug to push in infiltrators across Jammu & Kashmir’s Samba sector. The detection has prompted the BSF to launch a major operation to check whether there were more such tunnels.

In a tweet, the BSF said the approximately 20 feet long and three-four feet wide tunnel was detected inside the Indian territory near the International Border at Samba’s Basantar area. “Pakistan made sandbags with Shakargarh/Karachi written were also found at the mouth of the tunnel to hide it. The place of opening of the tunnel is around 170 Mtrs from IB [international border] towards the Indian side in the field of a local farmer.”

The BSF said its troops foiled nefarious design of Pakistan to infiltrate terrorists into Indian territory with this detection. “Efforts of alert BSF troops deployed in our counter-infiltration grid once again resulted in neutralizing the evil designs of terrorists.”

A BSF officer said there have been regular inputs about the presence of terrorists on the Pakistani side looking for infiltration options into the Indian territory.

A patrol detected the tunnel 50 metres from the border fence on the Indian side on Thursday.

“BSF has found some plastic sandbags at its mouth with Pakistani markings. It was being dug nearly 25 to 30 feet beneath the ground. The BSF has launched a massive search operation and anti-tunnelling drive to detect such tunnels,” said the officer on condition of anonymity.

The nearest Pakistani border post is about 400 metres from the tunnel.

“The modus operandi of digging tunnels to push terrorists is an old tactic of Pakistan. It seems Pakistan has started imitating Hamas fighters, who dig out underground tunnels to enter Israel,” said an officer from the counter-insurgency wing of the Jammu & Kashmir police.

In September 2019, the BSF launched an operation along the border to detect underground, cross-border tunnels. The BSF also uses ground-penetrating radars to detect tunnels.

Pakistan has chosen areas like Samba for digging such tunnels to push armed terrorists.