Samba (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], November 22 (ANI): A 150-metre long underground tunnel suspected to be used by terrorists for infiltration has been detected near International Border in Jammu and Kashmir's Samba sector on Sunday.

The tunnel was detected in a joint operation by Border Security Force (BSF) and Jammu and Kashmir police.

"It seems terrorists involved in Nagrotra encounter used this 150-meter long tunnel as it's a fresh one. We believe they had a guide who took them till highway," said BSF Jammu frontier, Inspector General, N S Jamwal.

Director-General of Police (DGP), Dilbagh Singh said, "The police have shared the input of Nagrota encounter with BSF and they have discovered the tunnel suspected to be used by the terrorists belonging to the Jaish-e-Mohammed here from Pakistan.""On November 18 at around 8.30 to 9:00 pm they used this tunnel for infiltration and took 5 to 6 hours to reach at the highway, stayed here for almost 2 hours and then reached at Nagrota Toll Plaza, where the encounter took place," said Mukesh Singh, Inspector General of Police, Jammu Zone.

The tunnel exit was in thick bushes carefully concealed and meticulously covered with soil and wild growth. The mouth of the tunnel is strengthened and reinforced by the sandbags with markings of Karachi, Pakistan. It is a freshly dug tunnel and appears to be used for the first time. It appears that proper engineering effort has gone in making the tunnel which shows the hand of the establishment.

Security forces neutralized four terrorists in the Nagrota encounter in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. Inspector-General of Police, Jammu Zone had said that it was possible that they were planning a big attack and targeting the upcoming District Development Council (DDC) elections in the Union territory.

The DDC elections will be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir in eight phases between November 28 and December 19, and the counting of votes will take place on December 22. (ANI)