Jammu, May 05: The Border Security Force (BSF) Thursday said that the 150-meter-long tunnel detected in Samba district on May 04 actually originated from Pakistan while as the force also stated that 265-foot long oxygen pipes were also recovered.

BSF officials said that the 150-tunnel detected on Wednesday actually originates from Pakistan while as 265-foot long pipes were used by supply oxygen. The BSF also said that the tunnel was freshly dug and was fifth one detected in the past 18th months.

Officials said that the BSF had halted the search after the tunnel was detected on Wednesday evening owing to bad light. “A detailed search was conducted on Thursday morning in which the BSF men videographed the tunnel,” they said.

Deputy Inspector-General and PRO BSF in Jammu, SPS Sandhu that that foiling the designs of Pakistan, the BSF detected a cross-border tunnel on Wednesday in Chak Faquira border outpost in Samba area. “The tunnel detection was the result of consistent efforts by the BSF troops during a fortnight-long anti-tunneling exercise carried out in the area. The tunnel is freshly dug out and is suspected to be about 150-metre long originating from the Pakistani side,” he said.

He said with this, the BSF has foiled the designs of Pakistan-based militants to disrupt the upcoming Amarnath Yatra commencing on June 30.

“The tunnel opening is about 2 feet wide and so far 21 sandbags have been recovered which were used to strengthen its exit. BSF has been conducting a detailed search around the tunnel,” the BSF PRO said, adding that oxygen pipes were also recovered.

It is suspected that the tunnel may have been used by the two Pashtun militants who were killed in an encounter in Sunjuwan area last month. They were picked by an overground worker from the Samba area.

Jammu BSF Inspector-General DK Boora lauded the efforts of the men in detecting the tunnel. This is the fifth tunnel detected in less than a year and a half.

“This shows the evil strategy of Pakistan to create trouble in India. The BSF has always been at the forefront to safeguard the borders and create a sense of security among the border population. The BSF’s efforts to detect any other possible tunnels in the area will continue,” Boora said.

Official sources said that the cross-border tunnel originating from a Pakistani border post of Rangers at Chaman Khurd (Fiaz) was detected at Chak Faquira Border Observation Post (BOP) of 48 Battalion BSF.

The special exercise to trace tunnels was launched by the BSF after two Pakistani suicide bombers of the Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) outfit were killed in an encounter in Jammu just two days before the recent visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The case has already been handed over to National Investigation Agency (NIA).

BSF had initially denied any infiltration through the border but the search for fresh tunnels was launched when two arrested OGWs, who transported the militants in a truck, during interrogation revealed that they had picked up two Pakistani militants, including one Pushto speaking, from Samba and dropped them here. kno