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

Jammu, Jul 11 (PTI) 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 interstate security review meeting came in 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 Border Security Force (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 J-K Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Vijay Kumar, Punjab ADG (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla, ADG (Jammu Zone) Anand Jain and inspector general-rank BSF officers of Punjab and Jammu.

The meeting also 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 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 attach as a massive search for the terrorists entered its fourth day on Thursday.