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Army confirms migration from Jammu

More than 250 people from two villages of Rajouri district near the Line of Control in Jammu region have migrated to Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir over two nights between June 23 and 25, army sources said today.

An army spokesman while confirming the migration from Tarkundi and Datot villages, located ahead of the forward line of army defences in the sector, said the ISI had been spreading rumours about an imminent war between India and Pakistan.

''Regular announcements (about the imminent war) were being made from across the border,'' he said.

The ISI had also been luring the residents of these two and some other villages to act as guides for facilitating infiltration on payment of huge amounts of money.

The spokesman quoted some villagers as saying that Rs 1 lakh is offered to each guide. In addition, locals had also been promised Rs 600 per adult per month for migrating to PoK.

A senior army official while admitting the seriousness of the situation, said the location of some villages near the LoC is such that "one half of a village is in India and the other half in Pakistan.''

The official admitted that Pakistan could take advantage of the situation and push in infiltrators from across the border.

Tarkundi is among 14 tiny hamlets divided by the LoC. The villages are most suited for infiltration and smuggling of arms and ammunition from across the border.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT
Hundreds cross over to Pakistan: Reuters

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