BSF Puts Troops on High Alert along India-Pak and India-Bangla Border Ahead of LS Polls

The border guarding agency is mandated to guard the 4,096 km long India-Bangladesh border that passes through Assam, Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya and West Bengal. BSF also guards more than 2,289 km of the international border that runs along Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat along India’s western frontier.

New Delhi: Putting its troops on high alert, the Border Security Force (BSF) has asked its personnel to intensify their patrolling along the India-Pakistan and India Bangladesh border. The alert was given on the basis of an intelligence report, which claimed that forces inimical to India’s security, will attempt to sneak into India from Pakistan and Bangladesh to create chaos ahead of the Lok Sabha election.

“Yes, we have put our personnel on high alert. Following reports that anti-social elements might try to sneak into the Indian territory, we have also intensified border patrolling to check the entry of any suspicious movements along the border areas,” said Surjit Singh Guleria, Inspector General of BSF to ETV Bharat on Thursday.

When asked whether any specific route has been identified by the BSF from where infiltrators might try to sneak into India, Guleria said that patrolling has been intensified throughout the border. “The anti-social elements might try to sneak into the Indian territory through the usual routes of infiltration,” Guleria stated. The BSF has identified several vulnerable points in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura from where the anti-social elements might try to enter the country.

The BSF is mandated to guard the 4,096 km long India-Bangladesh border, including 262 km in Assam, 856 km in Tripura, 318 km in Mizoram, 443 km in Meghalaya and 2,217 km in West Bengal.

Similarly, the agency also guards more than 2,289 km of the international border that runs along Jammu, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat along India’s western frontier. The Punjab region shares 553 km with Pakistan.

“Like our eastern frontier, an alert has also been issued along the western frontier. BSF has intensified its patrolling along the Pakistan border, too,” said another senior official. According to the official, state sponsored terrorist organisations from Pakistan would definitely try to create chaos in India ahead of the forthcoming elections.

“We have asked our personnel to intensify patrolling. We have also given special instructions to our anti-drone units to keep a close watch on the drone activities,” the official said.

It is worth mentioning that in a recent meeting with the chief of all paramilitary forces and border guarding agencies, the Election Commission (EC) has asked the forces to maintain tight vigil along the international border.

“There is a need to ensure strict vigil along Indo-Myanmar border by Assam Rifles; Indo Nepal Border by SSB especially in areas having porous border with Nepal; Indo-Bangladesh border and western borders by BSF; Indo-China border by ITBP, and in states with coastal area by Indian Coast Guard,” Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, who chaired the meeting said.

According to the official, both the frontiers guarded by the BSF are very much sensitive following the fact that the India-Pakistan border is prone for arms and ammunition as well as infiltrations of terrorists whereas the India-Bangladesh border is prone for smuggling of gold and psychotropic substances.

“The India-Bangladesh border along the West Bengal sector is also very much critical following reports that terrorist members might try to sneak into India taking advantage of the porus border,” the official said.

As per data, the BSF has either shot down or recovered 107 drones from along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab in 2023. The border guarding agency has also seized a total of 442.39 kg of heroin largely dropped by these drones. As many as 23 weapons of different calibers and 505 rounds of ammunition have also been recovered from along the Punjab front in the last year.