'We thought the infiltration bid had been foiled'

Three days after the Border Security Force claimed to foil an infiltration bid in the Samba sector, the force on Monday admitted that some terrorists had managed to sneak in and did not rule out reinforcements in the area.

"We thought that the infiltration bid had been foiled, but if you see the entire incidents, perhaps, some people may have been able to infiltrate," BSF Director General A K Mitra told media persons in New Delhi.

Mitra was referring to Sunday's incident when security forces shot dead two holed-up terrorists in the Samba sector of Jammu region after a 12-hour-long gun-battle.

Four civilians, including a photo-journalist and two army jawans, were also killed in the encounter.

The incident happened two days after the BSF claimed to have beaten back armed intruders, who had tried to infiltrate into India through the international border.

With the Amarnath yatra soon to begin and assembly elections slated later this year, the possibility of terrorist strikes was always there, Mitra said.

Terming the Samba incident as an 'eye opener', the BSF chief said the force was 'proposing' to enhance its strength in the area.

A surprised Mitra said this was the first time that terrorists had managed to sneak in by cutting the border fence along the international border in Jammu and Kashmir.

On the possibility of Pakistan Rangers' involvement in Friday's gunfire, he said there is 'no specific evidence' to establish the role of the Rangers.