Submit report on international border breach, MHA asks BSF

The Home Ministry has directed the BSF, which guards the international border with Pakistan, to submit a report on the breach by terrorists who sneaked into India and carried out terror strike in Pathankot.

Taking strong exception to the breach along the Indo-Pak international border, the Home Ministry asked the border guarding force to explain how heavily armed terrorists could enter India from across the border to carry out the mayhem, official sources said.

There have been several breaches along the IB in recent past, including one in July when three heavily armed terrorists entered Gurdaspur and killed seven people, including a Superintendent of Police.

Sources said as per initial reports, the terrorists might have entered India through one of the rivulets, which are unfenced, in Punjab.

India shares a 3,323-km-long border, including Line of Control, with Pakistan of which 553 km falls in Punjab and 1,225 km in Jammu and Kashmir, most of which is fenced.

BSF currently has 178 Border Out Posts in Punjab and 90 in Jammu and Kashmir along the international border.

The operation against militants holed up at Pathankot air base entered the third day today after explosions and firing continued intermittently overnight.

Security forces had yesterday killed one of the at least two terrorists on the second day of the attack in which seven security personnel lost their lives including a Lieutenant Colonel of the NSG.

Four terrorists were eliminated on Saturday when they had struck at the air base.