BSF neutralises Pakistani intruder in Punjab’s Ferozepur sector

Chandigarh, May 8 The Border Security Force (BSF) neutralised a Pakistani intruder in Punjab’s Ferozepur sector, officials said on Thursday.

The intruder, yet to be identified, was gunned down in the wee hours of Thursday while crossing the International Border of India and Pakistan.

The intruder was spotted trying to infiltrate near Gate No. 207/1 adjacent to Lakha Singh Wala BSF post.

Emergency Medical Officer Manpreet Singh, who is posted in Ferozepur with a government hospital, said, “The body of an unknown person has been brought here by the police.”

Meanwhile, the civil administration has imposed blackout from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. from Thursday in Gurdaspur district, bordering Pakistan, as a preventive step.

The blackout will continue till further orders, a government order said. Lighting will only be allowed in jail and hospitals but they have to close and cover windows, it added.

Earlier, at least three villages in Punjab’s Amritsar district close to the India-Pakistan border reported the recovery of portions of missiles, police said on Thursday. However, there were no reports of an explosion.

“There was neither any explosion nor an impact of the explosion,” Senior Superintendent of Police (Amritsar rural) Maninder Singh told the media, adding “the Army has been informed about them.”

The police are yet to ascertain whether they are part of Indian or Pakistani missiles. However, forensic teams have reached the spots and examining the origin.

Locals found the missile parts in agricultural fields in Jethuwal, Dudhala and Pandher villages in Amritsar district and informed the police.

Locals in Amritsar city say six blast-like sounds were heard within seven minutes between 1.02 am and 1.09 am on Thursday night. At that time, the city was blacked out.

Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sawhney clarified by saying: “We are observing precaution. There is no need to panic.”

Commissioner of Police Gurpreet Bhullar said there was panic on social media, where unconfirmed posts on blasts were doing the rounds.

Defence experts say there is a possibility that Pakistan may have attacked with these missiles but India's anti-missile system neutralised them in the sky.

Amid soaring tensions between India and Pakistan, people in some border villages of Punjab have started moving to safer places.

Villagers settled in Amritsar, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur and Tarn Taran districts close to the International Border began shifting their belongings to safer places despite the BSF, the Indian Army and even the local civil authorities not having issued any official evacuation orders.

Significantly, after the armed forces launched a series of precision strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir and Pakistan in response to the deaths of 26 people in Pahalgam, the Punjab government on Wednesday cancelled all public events.

The leave of all Punjab Police personnel was also cancelled.

AAP Punjab chief Aman Arora said the state government and all three crore Punjabis stand firmly with the Indian Army.

Arora said the Punjab Police, as the "second line of defence", is also fully prepared.

"The state's police force will join the Indian Army in every battle to deliver a crushing response to any Pakistani attack.”

Punjab shares a 532-km-long border with Pakistan. Therefore, during any military tension, the role of the Punjab government and its security and law enforcement agencies becomes extremely crucial.

Punjab Police are providing full support to the Indian Army and working together on future preparations.

The state government also appealed to the people of Punjab to strictly adhere to all government orders and guidelines to ensure there is no risk to public safety.

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