CHANDIGARH: The Indo-Pak border has started feeling the heat of tension between the two countries as a high alert has been sounded, both to the BSF (Border Security Force) and the villagers along the border. Official sources confirmed that "tension was palpable".
There have been reports that the Pakistan Army has reinforced their deployment close to the border. "At places they have come as close as three to four kms away from the international border", said the official.
The intelligence outputs from across the border also indicated that the Pakistan Army personnel have in fact taken over from the Pakistan Rangers at places on the border.
On the Indian side, villagers along the border have been alerted, but as yet there has been no mention of evacuating them, sources added.
The villagers on the border, however, say they would not leave their houses at the fall of a hat. In Ferozepur, Sarpanch of Kaleke village said, "We earn a living from farming and we cannot leave the standing crops and house as in 2002. During Operation Prakram, the army soldiers were camping in our houses and our fields were camouflaged with landmines."
Senior BSF officials said the "war hysteria was being deliberately built up in Pakistani areas along the border". It is the disinformation campaign being spread among the Pakistani villagers that has caused panic across the border, officials said.
The BSF DIG in Amritsar, Mohammad Akil, said "Trucks are moving across the Radcliff line without any hassles".
