BSF mounts tactical ops along IB to foil infiltration bids

Ahead of Republic Day celebrations, BSF has strengthened border domination and mounted 'tactical operations' to foil infiltration attempts from across the border with Pakistan in view of fog and extreme cold conditions.
"Tactical operations are being mounted to foil attempts of smugglers and anti-national elements during this foggy season," BSF DIG (Punjab Frontier) R S Kataria said.
In view of the border vulnerability due to fog, extreme cold climate and forthcoming Republic Day celebrations, BSF Inspector General (Punjab Frontier) Anil Paliwal has issued operational guidelines to all the sectors for strengthening border domination so as to effectively check any infiltration attempt and activities of anti-national elements, he said.

Accordingly, BSF DIG (Gurdaspur Sector) directed Field Commanders to maintain extra vigil along the border.
Vigil along the border has been strengthened with additional deployment of personnel and all the riverine gaps have been effectively plugged with surveillance equipment and thermal imagers amid increase in manual vigilance, he said.
On the Line of Control, Kumar said there have been

continuous incidents of ceasefire violations and BSF under the able guidance of the army are repulsing such incidents.
"But this was for the first incident after the Uri attack, that they tried to infiltrate through the international boundary and we gave them a befitting reply", he said.

He said that on the intervening night of October 19 and 20, Pakistan tried to push in some terrorists using fire power and the same was given a befitting reply by the alert BSF jawans led by Gurnam Singh because of which the infiltration bid was foiled and one terrorist was killed.
"The next day sniping was done from the Pakistani side on the same place where Gurnam Singh was standing and he was targeted and the bullet hit him in the head, we wanted to evacuate him, but because of heavy fire we faced some problems.
"We retaliated and shifted him to GMC and every possible treatment was given to him and air ambulance was also kept ready to shift him, but sadly we lost him during the night", Kumar said.

He said that Gurnam has made a supreme sacrifice for the nation and the BSF and the entire nation was proud of him.
"The BSF was planning to shift him to Delhi and Air ambulance was kept ready for that, but Gurnam breathed his last night," he said.
Gurnam's family had yesterday demanded that he be shifted to a better hospital.