BSF mobilises more troops to units along Pak border

New Delhi: The BSF has ordered mobilisation of additional manpower at posts along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab and Jammu as part of its measures to strengthen the anti-infiltration grid and check the intrusion of drones carrying ammunition or drugs, official sources said Monday.

The sources told PTI that the Western Command of the Border Security Force headquartered in Chandigarh has also directed for setting up of nine “tactical” headquarters along the front in these two regions with the maximum intelligence and operations paraphernalia being “shifted” here under the monitoring of a newly created control room.

A tactical or ‘tac headquarter’ is a forward base which is closer to the border, just near the border post, and ahead of the battalion base in the rear.

The ‘tac headquarter’, as per the sources, will also have the presence of one senior commander from all verticals including the commanding officer (CO) of the battalion whose unit is deployed at these vulnerable border posts, the sources said.

Directions have also been issued to mobilise “maximum” manpower of the force to border guarding units all across these two regions after shifting them from the battalion headquarters, they said, adding that the measure had been taken late last week keeping in mind the “vulnerability and the constant threat” to these border areas from the point of view of cross-border infiltration and drone flights emanating from Pakistan.

“The directions mandate these steps to be taken immediately,” a senior officer based in Punjab said.

However, officials said that asking the commanding officers to be present at their respective tac headquarters “all the time” will lead to command and administration issues.