With the border remaining calm in the wake of the Indo-Pak ceasefire, security forces have intensified border fencing work along the Line of Control and International Border in Jammu and Kashmir.
"We have doubled our efforts since the ceasefire in order to finish border fencing and floodlighting of Zero Line with Pakistan," a senior security official monitoring the border fencing work told PTI at Chinaz village on the Zero Line.
Working without any fear of Pakistani firing for the first time since the start of fencing two years ago, the jawans engaged in the fencing say their output has increased three to four times now. "We are very happy due to the ceasefire. But even during daily Pakistani firing, we continued fencing," Sepoy Narain Singh said.
Braving Pakistani shelling and firing, 245 km of the LoC and IB have been fenced till date. The work has claimed the lives of 29 jawans and injured 47, the official said. However, the official said that ceasefire or no ceasefire the work will go on till the entire 976 km of the LoC and IB is fenced.
Of 245 km fenced border, 152 km has been fenced on the LoC and 93 km along the IB in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, adding 63 km of the IB has been floodlit by the Border Security Force troops. Border fencing has so far been completed in Mendhar, Noushera, Samba and R S Pura areas of Jammu and Kashmir, the official added.
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