BSF forces out 7 Pakistani boats

In the first-ever Border Security Force (BSF) operation in the hitherto inaccessible Harami Nala creek in the disputed Sir Creek area,officials of the Gujarat Frontier of BSF on Friday scared away seven Pakistani boats that were reportedly fishing in the area. The BSF team also fired several rounds to shoo away the boats from Indian waters. However,it is not known if there were any casualties or injuries during the incident. Harami Nala,which spreads to the creek areas of the Indian side and remains marshy and inundated over an area of over 500 sq km,is normally inaccessible even for the BSF. No BSF patrol team,said sources,had entered the area until on Friday,when a team decided to go there on foot. This patrol team,added sources,used special resources and made difficult tidal and lunar effect calculations before embarking on a five-kilometre long journey from the Rann to Harami Nala. The team took nearly five hours to cover this short distance,sources said.

Around 8.30 am,the patrol team spotted seven Pakistani boats and warned them to go back. But the intruders paid no heed. The team had to eventually fire warning shots to scare away the boats. The BSF carries out fortnightly aerial recce of the area to thwart fishing by Pakistani boats. They say the Pakistani government has now connected the disputed creek with another creek on their side,the Bando Dhoro or Fauji Watan,by digging a channel approximately two kilometres long and 50 metres wide. This channel,said the BSF,helps the Pakistani fishermen save time and avoid entering the creek from the Indian side.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has already sanctioned two state-of-the-art hovercrafts and an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) for patrolling the Harami Nala. These are,however,yet to arrive.