The Border Security Force(BSF) will propose to name a post near the international border as Sindoor in a reference to Operation Sindoor, India’s successful military response to the Pahalgam terror strike, inspector general (Jammu sector), Shashank Anand said on Tuesday.
The officer shared how a group of women BSF officers commanded the sensitive posts during the cross-border firing and destroyed posts of Pakistan Rangers and terror launch pads during the operation. Additionally, BSF will also propose to name two other posts in the RS Pura Sector as homage to two of its personnel — Mohammed Imtiyaz and Deepak Chingakham — who died in the line of duty, he added.
“BSF women officers had the option of relocating to the headquarters from the border outposts but our brave women chose to stay at the forward duty post and do their duty along with their male counterparts. Women officers such as assistant commandant Neha Bhandari, constables Manjeet Kaur, Sumi, Malkit Kaur, Jyoti Sampa, and Swapna opened fire at the posts of the enemy near the international border. They gave a befitting reply,” Anand said, adding that at several locations, Pakistan personnel were seen leaving their posts.
“We will send a proposal to the headquarters and the government to name the post as Sindoor in the Samba sector. In remembrance of our two bravehearts, who died in the line of duty, we will name two other posts in RS Pura Sector,” he added.
On Tuesday, BSF also shared videos of the force destroying Pakistan posts and three launchpads.
Assistant commandant Neha Bhandari, who was commanding a post at the border in Samba, told reporters,” If they fired at us once, we fired at them twice. We fired flat trajectory, high trajectory at their posts and forced them to run. Their surveillance equipment was broken. Women jawans were given the option to retreat to the headquarters but they all chose to stay back at the outpost and respond to the attack. The josh was high among all the troops.”
Sharing details of how communication lines along Pakistan’s Sialkot district near the border were destroyed, Anand said that on the morning of May 10, Pakistan flew drones with payloads at low heights. “BSF engaged these drones but in one unfortunate incident, our braveheart post commander Mohammed Imtiyaz, his colleague constable Deepak, and one army man Naik Sunil Kumar lost their lives due to shelling and while firing at the drones. But our jawans gave a befitting reply. This is why across the Sialkot belt in Pakistan, BSF damaged their communication lines, their advanced surveillance equipment, posts, and terror launchpads- Looni, Mastpur, and Chatpura.
BSF officials also said that on the morning of May 9 and 10, Pakistan also specifically targeted the civilian population and that a communication by Pakistan specifically asking their men on the ground to target one such area (Abdullian in RS Pura) was intercepted.
BSF DIG Chitrapal, of the Jammu sector, said,” At around 9.30 pm on May 9, the counterparts across the border from our RS Sector targeted outposts. In one interception, we heard them saying – Abdullian ko hit karo, Abdullian ko hit karo(Attack Abdullian area). This is a residential area and they were trying to hit there. Our jawans responded using mortars and flat trajectory weapons. By around 4.30 am, the firing had reduced and they increased drone activity, followed by firing at outposts. But our jawans from one post in response destroyed their Mastpur terror launchpad. It has been destroyed completely. During the firing, we could see that their jawans were fleeing.”
During Operation Sindoor, BSF officials said that at last 76 Pakistan outposts were targeted by Indian forces in response to Pakistan firing at 40 Indian outposts. One Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) complex, maintained by the Pakistan Army and used by ISI, was also destroyed on the night of May 9.
“It was a very active launchpad. It has been destroyed using mortars. There is no ISI complex now and no one has occupied it,” DIG Virender Datta said.