JAMMU, DECEMBER 5: For the first time during the decade-long militancy in Jammu and Kashmir, the Border Security Force (BSF) has decided to press into service helicopters for counter-insurgency operations in various parts of the sensitive border state.While the BSF already has one helicopter, two more will be acquired shortly, said Inspector General of BSF, U C Chabra, at a press conference today. The helicopters were required as the BSF had to carry out counter-insurgency operations in vast hilly terrains and it was not possible for them to reach all the places on time, he added.Apart from this, the BSF has intensified vigil along the International Border and in areas under its operational command, besides creating obstacles on the possible infiltration routes to detect movement of militants. The intruder alarm system have also been placed on ground at various places to detect any intrusion attempt, he added. Chabra said that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) have, of late, startedconcentrating on the International Border in Jammu region, especially Samba sector, to push in armed militants into the State.Quoting intelligence information, he said that the ISI have set up ``launching pads'' at various places along the IB opposite Samba sector for the purpose.The ISI appears to have shifted its attention towards the IB in Samba sector due to operational alertness maintained by Army troops along the Line of Control (LoC) after the Kargil conflict. Besides, the IB in neighbouring Punjab and Rajasthan was completely fenced.Pointing out that all their routes from the IB have been identified, he said that militants enter Doda after passing through Nai Kali, Majalata and Basantgarh from Ramnagar. However, they also go to Marmat after passing through Dudu Basantgarh and Goha from Ramnagar.
