AGARTALA, May 10 (TIWN): After the recent alert from Delhi that the state is being increasingly used as a corridor by Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jihad-i-Islami (Huji) militants BSF has intensified vigil along Tripura’s 856-km-long border with Bangladesh. “We have been directed by our higher authorities in Delhi to intensify vigil along the border in the wake of reports that Tripura is being used as a corridor or transit point for entry of fundamentalist and terrorist elements like Huji into India”, said a high level BSF official.

The BSF official further said that the BSF jawans on duty here have been given night vision thermal cameras to track the movement of suspected infiltrators. Each of these cameras resembles a black and white TV set. Through the lens, a jawan can spot anyone moving within a 1-km radius and if needed, another jawan standing close to him can fire at the target.

“Thermal cameras capture the body heat of all living things. Even the movement of an animal can be recorded at night; the sensor of the camera attached to the monitor can zoom and capture the image of a man or a animal moving within the 1-km range, the BSF official said.

The BSF in Tripura has received several night vision telescopes and also telescopic rifles that can pierce the darkness and the bullets can hit the targets accurately. This has considerably added to our strength and operational preparedness in this border state and we are now prepared to deal with any eventuality, the official said.

The BSF authorities are at present trying to strengthen the intelligence network to get proper feedback on developments along the border including information on what is happening inside Bangladesh, at least in areas close to the border. We do receive feedback from other intelligence agencies but at present our priority is to strengthen our own intelligence network so that we can face any eventuality in a better way, the BSF official mentioned.

According to a report, global terrorist networks, including Pakistan-based ISI, Al-Qaida and Bangladesh-based HUJI activists were using Sonamura, Agartala and Kailashahar of Tripura and Karimganj and towns of upper Assam to enter India and most of them did not possess valid passports.

Intelligence agencies here had always suspected that Tripura, especially Akhaura (Agartala), Sonamura in West Tripura districts, Dharmanagar and Kailashahar borders in North Tripura districts, were being used by Bangladeshi terrorists, criminals as well as DGFI and ISI recruits to enter other states in the country's heartland for carrying out anti-Indian activities.