'BSF repairing damaged Indo-Pak border fencing on war-footing'

The repair work on the border fencing damaged due to flash floods is on at "war footing", Border Security Force (BSF) said today, in the backdrop of increased infiltration attempts from across the border in recent days.

"The work to repair the border fencing damaged due to flash floods is going on fast," a BSF officer said.

The flash floods in the Basantar and Ujh rivers, which was triggered by heavy rains, have caused damage to 700-800 metres of three-tier border fencing along India-Pakistan border in Kathua-Samba border belt of the state in August.

The patches of 200-300 metres of border fencing had suffered damages in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts due to flash floods along International Border in riverine belts.

At some places, the border fencing has been fully washed away by the flash floods in the riverine areas of Basantar belt.

"The work is taken up by BSF troops and we hope to complete it soon," he said.

Apart from the fence, work will also be started on the construction of the Border Out Post (BoPS), which also suffered damage during the flash floods in the belt, he said.

The troops guarding the borderline are keeping a close watch on the three-tier border fencing areas in view of the threat of infiltration from across the border, he said.

Nearly 190 kilometres of border along IB in Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts from Moluchak (Akhnoor LoC) to Pathankot in Jammu is fenced and floodlighted to stop cross-border infiltration and smuggling of narcotics and weapons into the state from Pakistan.