Intruder apprehended near LoC in J&K’s Poonch

A Pakistani intruder was arrested near the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, officials said on Thursday.

The officials said the intruder from the Pakistan side was apprehended by the Army near the LoC on Wednesday.

The intruder was identified as 18-year-old Mohd Sadiq.

"He was trying to sneak into the Indian side of the LoC when he was caught in Noorkote village near the border fence in Poonch," said the officials.

“He was not carrying any weapon or incriminating material. He is being questioned about his motive to cross the LoC. It appears he might have crossed the LoC inadvertently,” the officials said.

The Army and the security forces have heightened vigil along the LoC and the hinterland, especially after the terrorists carried out some dastardly attacks at the behest of their handlers sitting across the border.

Intelligence agencies say the handlers of terror have become impatient because of the peaceful and people-participative Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections. The elections were witnessed by diplomats from many countries.

It is also reported that terrorists could be waiting at the terror launch pads across the LoC in Pakistan-occupied areas to cross over to the Indian side before the mountain passes get closed by heavy snowfall this winter.

Security forces have started aggressive operations against terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers to dismantle the ecosystem of terrorism.

Lt Governor Manoj Sinha has chaired top-level security review meetings in which clear orders were given to the security forces to wipe out terrorism from the UT.

It is for this reason that additional deployments of paramilitary forces have been made in the UT to augment the existing anti-terrorism grid in J&K.