ANI photo
NEW DELHI: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday apprehended a 19-year-old Bangladeshi national near the International Border in the Gajansoo area of Jammu and Kashmir.According to Jammu and Kashmir Police, the individual has been identified as Shariful Islam Bhuiyan, son of Mozibul Haque Bhuiyan. He is a resident of Adra village in Bangladesh’s Comilla district.After initial questioning, the BSF handed him over to the Border Police Post (BPP), Gajansoo, under Police Station Kanachak, where further interrogation is under way, reported news agency ANI.Meanwhile, the BSF is preparing to launch its annual winter security exercise, Operation ‘Sard Hawa’ (Cold Wind), across sensitive stretches of the Kashmir frontier, key security posts in Jammu, and the vast desert areas of Rajasthan along the India-Pakistan border and the Line of Control. The operation is aimed at preventing infiltration attempts that often increase during winter due to reduced visibility caused by dense fog.BSF officials told ANI that the operation is expected to begin next month and will continue till the end of January, a period considered critical ahead of Republic Day celebrations.Speaking on condition of anonymity, a BSF official posted in Jammu said the main focus of Operation Sard Hawa is to counter infiltration bids that exploit fog and mist during the winter months. “Heightened security measures are adopted with increased vigilance and patrolling along the India-Pakistan border during ‘Operation Sard Hawa’,” the official said.Operation Sard Hawa is carried out every year along the India-Pakistan frontier in Jammu and Kashmir and Rajasthan. It covers difficult terrain in the Kashmir sector, important border posts in Jammu, and parts of the Thar Desert, including vulnerable stretches of the International Boundary and the Line of Control.During the operation, the BSF intensifies surveillance by deploying additional personnel and using advanced equipment such as thermal imaging systems to detect infiltration, smuggling and illegal cross-border movement. The winter exercise runs alongside the summer counter-infiltration drive, Operation Garam Hawa (Hot Wind).
