Pakistan Suspected of Constructing Deep Infiltration Tunnels Along LoC: Indian Agencies Launch Investigation

 New Delhi — Indian security agencies are investigating credible intelligence suggesting that Pakistan has constructed deep cross-border tunnels along the Line of Control (LoC) to facilitate terrorist infiltration into Indian territory and potentially enable troop movement during armed conflict, The Hindustan Times reported, citing high-level security sources.

According to the report, both the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Indian Army have been directed to assess whether Pakistan has succeeded in building deep subterranean tunnels beneath forward trenches, designed to remain undetected by conventional monitoring systems.

“In the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, we were specifically asked to examine whether Pakistan has managed to dig very deep tunnels, under the trenches, to facilitate infiltration and even deploy soldiers during a conflict scenario,” a senior officer told the newspaper on condition of anonymity.

Officials from the BSF, Army, and intelligence services have further revealed that Pakistan has strategically deployed ex-servicemen along its side of the border. These personnel are believed to act as both operational facilitators and initial responders in tunnelling activities.

One tunnel, discovered in 2020, stretched approximately 500 metres in length and descended to a depth of nearly 30 metres. Another, according to officials, extended nearly 200 metres into Pakistani territory and was fitted with an oxygen supply pipe to assist infiltrators in long-duration underground movements.

The use of tunnels for cross-border incursions is not unprecedented. Umar Farooq, nephew of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) chief Masood Azhar and a key figure behind the 2019 Pulwama attack, reportedly entered India through a tunnel in the Samba sector in April 2018. Likewise, the perpetrators of the 2016 Nagrota army camp assault are believed to have used a similar underground route.

“Despite deploying anti-tunnelling technology and conducting regular ground inspections, there remains the possibility that Pakistan has constructed deeper, more sophisticated tunnels with concealed openings on our side,” the officer cautioned.

Since 2001, Indian forces have uncovered at least 22 tunnels used for cross-border infiltration. However, senior officials believe the actual number may be higher, with many remaining undiscovered due to evolving construction techniques.

In response to rising concerns, the BSF launched a large-scale anti-tunnelling operation in January this year along a 33-kilometre stretch of the International Border (IB) with Pakistan. As part of the initiative, anti-infiltration trenches were dug across 25 kilometres to detect and neutralize any underground threats. The move came in response to specific intelligence inputs indicating heightened infiltration risks in 2025.

Aftermath of the Pahalgam Attack

The renewed scrutiny follows the devastating terrorist attack in Pahalgam—one of the deadliest incidents in Jammu and Kashmir since the Pulwama bombing in 2019. The assault, claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of Lashkar-e-Taiba, resulted in the deaths of at least 26 individuals, including several foreign nationals.

In a swift and decisive response, the Indian government downgraded diplomatic ties with Islamabad, suspended the Indus Waters Treaty, and ordered a reduction in Pakistan’s diplomatic presence in New Delhi. Military officials from Pakistan were expelled, and the Attari-Wagah check post was closed.

Pakistan retaliated by threatening to withdraw from the 1972 Simla Agreement and announced the closure of the Wagah border crossing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a nationally televised address, vowed an unrelenting pursuit of those responsible: “We will track down the terrorists to the end of the earth.” In turn, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif warned that any modifications to the Indus Waters Treaty would be regarded as “an act of war.”

As tensions continue to escalate, Indian security agencies remain on high alert, and intelligence efforts are intensifying along the LoC to thwart any future infiltration attempts through underground routes.