MIlitants from Pakistan may sneak into India through Nepal: Reports

Prashant Acharya, EOI, SILIGURI, 22 Oct 2016:The India-Nepal border has been put on high alert following intelligence reports that terrorists from Pakistan are likely to sneak into India through Nepal. Personnel of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) who guard the porous border are keeping strict vigil after receiving the information from the Union home ministry. SSB sources said Home Minister Rajnath Singh held a meeting with high ranked security officials and discussed militants' probable plans to use new routes via Nepal to enter Jammu and Kashmir.

Infiltrating into Jammu and Kashmir is becoming increasingly tough for terrorist outfits operating out of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) after India mobilised its security forces in huge numbers along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Valley. The mobilisation began following last month's surgical strikes across the LoC.

Rajiv Rana, SSB Commanding Officer of the 41st Battalion, said, “A high alert has been sounded and we are conducting special monitoring along the India-Nepal border. In all, there are 199 Border Out Posts (BOPs) in Sikkim and West Bengal. All the BOPs have been put on high alert.”

"The SSB is working with the West Bengal police and keeping a strict watch over the India-Nepal border. The two sides have urged people residing along the border to sound the alert if they happen to see any suspicious elements," added Rana.

In order to ensure near total security, additional SSB personnel have been deployed along areas where terrorist infiltration is likely. The police are also keeping a strict watch by conducting night patrolling and checking guest lists in hotels along the border. They have also issued strict instructions to homeowners letting out rooms to furnish the identities of their tenants at the nearest police station.