The Arnia encounter claiming lives of three security men and five civilians once again raises question on Pakistan’s intention of normalising relations with India. One can debate on the timing of the incident i.e. a day ahead of Prime Minister’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir for addressing election rallies in the Jammu region. The recent Narendra Modi-Nawaz Sharif meet during SAARC summit in Kathmandu could be coincidental but the way a pack of four militants could sneak-in the area, kill the occupants of a car, take the vehicle for quiet a good distance and hide in an abandoned army bunker show how they were familiar with the landscape and patrolling pattern of the security forces. The BSF IG’s statement that border fence has not been damaged anywhere shows that the militants may have used a new route to sneak into India. Few days ago a senior army officer had raised apprehensions, saying infiltration bids were continuing. He also stated that during the last few months there have been attempts by Pak supported militants to make inroad into India. He also said that militants are trying to push in more and more Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and large cache of arms ammunition at a time when the State is witnessing elections to Legislative Assembly. The new trend of occupying an abandoned army bunker a la Kargil style speaks of some new and larger game plan of militants and their masters from across the border. These bunkers are of 1971 India-Pak war era built as second line of defense after the ditch-cum-bund and at present are not even in use by army. Though first of its kind, the incident should work as an eye opener for the security agencies to strengthen the grid all along the International borders and along the Line of Control (LOC). The ground realities may not change but what is needed is a much better vigil mechanism to thwart nefarious designs of the neighbouring country.
