Chenab current drifts BSF jawan, captured by Pakistan

A Border Severity Force jawan deployed along the Indo-Pakistan border was captured by Pakistani forces early on Wednesday after he was swept away by a strong current of the Chenab river in Jammu and Kashmir.

The BSF, immediately after the incident occurred early morning, sought a flag meeting with their counterparts Pakistan Rangers for getting the jawan back.

"We are in touch with Pakistan Rangers and have sought a flag meeting. We are hopeful that our trooper will be handed back to us sooner than later," BSF chief D K Pathak said.

Officials said the trooper, identified as Satyasheel Yadav of the water wing of the border guarding force, was out on a patrol with three other personnel in the Paragwal-Khour sub-sector of general area Akhnoor along the Line of Control when the boat they were travelling in developed a problem.      

They said that when the patrol squad was negotiating a narrow bend in the river in this sector, the engine of the motorboat failed.

A rescue boat later sent to fetch the BSF men was taken by three personnel but Yadav got drifted in the strong current as the rope holding him snapped and he subsequently landed 400 metres away in the Sialkot sector of Pakistan where he was picked up the Rangers, they said.

A Rangers official confirmed the capture as he told PTI that a BSF personnel had entered Bajwaat sector, about 150 kms from Lahore.

"We are interrogating him whether he crossed into our side inadvertently or he had any other design. We will also speak to the BSF officials concerned about it," the official said.