Over 12 BSF battalions needed to keep border vigil — IG

AGARTALA, DECEMBER 7: The BSF needs at least 12 battalions to keep "perfect" vigil on Tripura's 856-km long India-Bangladesh bor...

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AGARTALA, DECEMBER 7: The BSF needs at least 12 battalions to keep "perfect" vigil on Tripura’s 856-km long India-Bangladesh border, BSF IG B C Goel has said.

Presently nine battalions are engaged in keeping vigil along the porous border, Goel told newsmen here on Tuesday.

Besides instilling a sense of security among border population and controlling trans-border crimes like smuggling, the BSF has the onerous task to check movement of ultras to and from Bangladesh, Goel – BSF IG for Tripura, Cachar (in Assam), Mizoram – said.

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The force has conducted a number of special drives along the international border with a view to "dominate" the entire border belt, he said. This resulted in preventing the militants from consolidating their position, the IG said.

In one of the major counter-insurgency operations during April ’99, BSF killed two hardcore NLFT ultras in Killa area of south Tripura district and recovered a large cache of arms including one rifle of AK series, Goel said.

Till November this year BSF seized contraband goods worth over Rs five crore and apprehended 995 illegal entrants. Seven Indians kidnapped by Bangladesh miscreants were also rescued following flag meetings with Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), he added.