Akhnoor: Army troops discovered a 50-mt long tunnel near a forward post along the Indo-Pak border in Jammu region’s sensitive Pallanwala sector which could have been used to infiltrate militants into India.
“On Aug 22 (Friday), Army personnel during routine patrolling in Pallanwala sector found a tunnel approximately 50 metres long near the Chakla post on the Indian side of the Line of Control,” he said.
“The tunnel is approximately two-and-a-half ft wide and three-and-a-half ft high and is leading towards the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK),” the spokesman said. It appears to be an incomplete tunnel as no exit has been found on the Indian side, he said in a statement here.
“Troops are carrying out thorough search of the area to ascertain further details which is taking time due to the existing minefield,” the spokesman said.
The tunnel could have been used to infiltrate militants into the Indian terriroty, Army sources said.
The Army is strengthening its counter-infiltration grid to prevent any attempt by Pakistan Army to send ultras into India, the sources said.
The tunnel is near the stretch where militants had made an infiltration bid on July 22 this year in which an ultra and a jawan were killed.
Army troops had also detected a tunnel in same area in 2008.
On July 27, 2012, a cross-border tunnel was detected after earth caved in at two to three places due to rains near BSF’s Chillayari Border Out Post (BOP) in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Brigadier shames Army, faces sack
New Delhi: In a major embarrassment to the Army, a Brigadier deployed along the Line of Control in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir is facing the prospect of disciplinary action for allegedly sodomising his assistant (sahayak).
Sahayaks, who were earlier known as Batmans, are regular combat soldiers who are provided to officers for helping them out in doing official tasks. But there are demands to scrap the system as they are allegedly misused for doing domestic chores.
The Brigadier was commanding troops in the Poonch sector along the LoC and was in-charge of the sensitive area where Pakistani ceasefire violations are frequent. After receiving complaints about his behaviour, the Brigadier has been attached to the Infantry Division for a Court of Inquiry, sources here said. He has been forced to proceed on leave, they said.
