104 to 135 militants ready to infiltrate into this side. Says Some guides have crossed over to Pak; their movement, their families under surveillance; shelf life of militants restricted to 6-8 weeks; procuring own drones to counter drone threat on LoC, 17.3 kg heroin worth Rs 88 Crores seized last year

Srinagar: Inspector General of Border Security Force (BSF) Kashmir frontier Raja Babu Singh Monday said that post ceasefire agreement last year, the overall situation on Kashmir LoC remained peaceful but the fresh intelligence inputs suggest that 104 to 135 militants are ready to sneak into this side. He also said that some guides have crossed over to the other side of LoC and their movement and their families are under constant watch of security agencies.

Addressing the annual conference at BSF headquarters at Humhama on city outskirts, the IG BSF for Kashmir Frontier said that post ceasefire agreement in February last year, the situation has been peaceful on the LoC. “But our inputs suggest that there are 104 to 135 militants at the launch pads, who are ready to infiltrate into this side,” the IG BSF said, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO)

He said that there are also reports that some guides have crossed over to the other side of the LoC. “Their movement is being tracked and their families are under constant watch. The primary job of the guide is to bring groups of militants along,” he said.

Asked about the drone threats on LoC, the IG BSF said that it guards 96 kms of LoC in Kashmir and the drone threat was real. “We are procuring our own drones to counter the drone threat. Besides, a series of measures are in place to deal with drone threats,” he said.

He said that last year 17.3 kg heroin worth Rs 88 Crore were seized on the LoC by BSF and all efforts are being made to foil bids aimed at transporting narcotics from LoC. He said that Taliban takeover in Afghanistan last year hasn’t affected J&K in any form so far, but “security agencies are monitoring situation closely.”