Tunnel used by Pak Jaish terrorists found

Jammu: The Border Security Force today said it has detected a cross-border tunnel along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba district and claimed to have foiled the plans of Pakistan-based terrorists to disrupt the upcoming Amarnath Yatra.

An alert has been sounded in the Jammu region. The 150-metres-long tunnel was detected in an area under the Chak Faquira border outpost in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba on Wednesday evening, BSF officials said. "With the detection of this tunnel, BSF-Jammu has foiled the nefarious designs of Pakistan-based terrorists to disrupt the upcoming Amarnath yatra," Border Security Force DIG SPS Sandhu said.

The tunnel was freshly dug and originated from the Pakistan side. Its opening was about 2 feet and so far 21 sandbags, used to strengthen the exit of the tunnel, have been recovered, he said. Sandhu said the tunnel will be searched in detail today. The detection of the tunnel comes nearly a fortnight after security forces gunned down two suicide bombers after they attacked a CISF bus and killed an assistant sub-inspector in the Sunjwan area of Jammu on April 22.

An official said that the underground tunnel is believed to have been used by the two suicide bombers of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group to sneak into India.

An official, on condition of anonymity, said, "A newly dug tunnel at a distance of 150 metres from the International Border and 50 metres from the border fence was detected opposite Pakistani post Chaman Khurd (Fiaz) which is 900 metres from the Indian side."

He said the opening of the tunnel was about 300 metres from the border outpost Chak Faquira and 700 metres from the last Indian village.