BSF to seek GSI, Army expertise for uncovering tunnel

"We have requested experts of Army, GSI, geo-physics and seismology besides geology and mining to conduct digging and excavation work to find out the extension and opening of the tunnel," IG BSF (Headquarters, New Delhi) S K Mishra told reporters at Chillary border fencing area on International Border (IB), over 60 km from here today.

Help would be also sought from satellite imagery from ISRO, he said before the border guarding force took necessary action.

The BSF suspended excavation work today to uncover the tunnel after 48-hour-long operation in Chachwal village due to rains that filled the trench dug by the para-military force.

"Tunnel portions are filled with rain water ... Work was stopped," he said. "We have been digging the tunnel further ... We do not know where the tunnel is going, where is its opening point .... We have not found out so far," he said.

"The alignment (of the tunnel) is straight to border fencing ... It is going across. So far we have got to the middle of the tunnel .... We do not know beyond," the IG said.

He said, "We have requested experts from Army to excavate it further so that we can know where is its opening and where is it going .... That we have to do urgently."

"One tunnel has been detected. We do not know whether there are more tunnels. So we have sent requests to for GSI, geology and mining experts to find details of the tunnel," he said.

"We will definitely inform ISRO for satellite imagery," he said, adding that a seismic survey could be carried out as well.