BSF guns down intruder from Pakistan

Foiling an infiltration bid, Border Security Force troopers gunned down an intruder from Pakistan in north Punjab early on Saturday, BSF sources said.

The incident took place near the Dinda border out post (BoP) in Bamiyal sector of forward areas of Pathankot district.

The incident took place on a day when the two-day "Heart of Asia" conference got underway in Amritsar city in Punjab, about 100 km from the infiltration incident spot.

Amritsar is under a tight security umbrella with a number of international leaders converging here for the conference.

The intruder was killed after he came close to the border fencing on the Indian side and did not heed to warnings.

The National Investigating Agency, which had investigated the terror attack on the Pathankot air base on January 2 this year by Pakistani terrorists, had pointed out that the terrorists had entered India near the Dinda BoP.

The BSF troopers in the border belt remain on high alert following the two terror attacks in Dinanagar (July 27, 2015) and Pathankot (January 2, 2016) in Punjab.

The "Heart of Asia" international conference is for peace and stability in the war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Modi and Ghani are expected to reach Amritsar in the evening.

Both leaders will jointly inaugurate the ministerial deliberations of Heart of Asia-Istanbul Process, which sees over 40 foreign ministers and dignitaries of 14 participating countries on Sunday, an official from the Ministry of External Affairs told IANS.

Pakistan's de facto foreign policy chief Sartaj Aziz is scheduled to arrive on Sunday to attend the ministerial conference. Aziz would return on the same day.

--IANS

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