5 infiltrators shot dead

The Border Security Force shot dead five infiltrators along the India-Pakistan border in Punjab last week. The infiltrators were trying to enter the Indian side through the Khemkaran border area in Tarn Taran district when they were spotted by the BSF patrol team, officials said. "Upon being challenged to stop, the intruders fired upon the troops who retaliated in self defence. Five intruders were killed in the gunfight," they added. BSF troops had first noticed suspicious activity at the border around midnight, following which they launched a "focussed" surveillance on the intruders and set up multiple ambushes along the front. The "contact was established" just behind the IB fence, the report said, quoting a BSF official. The intruders were carrying rifles and were taking advantage of tall grass to sneak into India, they said. One AK-47 rifle and four pistols were recovered from the site of the encounter. Apart from the weapons, the intruders were also found to be carrying 9.920 kg of contraband suspected to be heroin.