All Photos: APF Nepal
ITAHARI: Security measures have been tightened along the Nepal-India border areas as the conflict between India and Pakistan escalates.
Strict checks have been implemented at various border points in Koshi Province. According to SSP Bhim Bahadur Dahal, spokesperson for the Koshi Province Police Office in Biratnagar, security arrangements have been strengthened at multiple locations along the Nepal-India border in the province. “Security measures have been tightened,” SSP Dahal said. “Vigilance has been heightened at border points, and checks are being conducted accordingly.”
He added that security personnel are also conducting covert movements at the border points.
The Armed Police Force (APF) has stated that checks have been made more systematic and stringent at border points such as Bhantabari in Sunsari, Jogbani in Morang, Kakarbhitta and Bhadrapur in Jhapa and Pashupatinagar in Ilam.
The increased vigilance is in response to the rising tension between India and Pakistan. Sunsari shares a 62-kilometer open border with India. Security personnel have been deployed at border points and surrounding areas, including those connecting to India’s Supaul and Araria districts via Koshi Barrage and Amduwa. Thirteen units of Nepal Police and 11 permanent units of the Armed Police Force are stationed at border areas in Sunsari.
In Morang, around 100 APF personnel are deployed in the border area under the command of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Rishikesh Raut.
Major border points are referred to as “large customs”, while others are called “small customs”. Areas with limited access are classified as small customs, where goods-carrying vehicles do not operate. As a result, the Armed Police have increased personnel at larger customs points.
According to SSP Sudhir Jung Thapa, the information officer at the APF’s No. 1 Barah Brigade Headquarters in Sunsari, security has been further tightened at major customs points like Jogbani in Morang and Kakarbhitta in Jhapa. He added that security has been strengthened in these areas due to the possibility of Bangladeshi citizens entering through Kakarbhitta and Jogbani borders.
“With tensions rising between India and Pakistan, we have intensified security at the border areas,” Thapa said. “We are maintaining records of people crossing the border, increasing patrols and enhancing surveillance as part of our security arrangements.”
He added that the APF has deployed maximum personnel with additional forces stationed at small customs as well.
Indian citizens are not restricted from entering Nepal, but they are required to carry necessary identification documents.
“Security measures are focused on areas where goods-carrying vehicles operate,” he said. “Individuals crossing the Nepal-India border are required to carry government-issued identification. A system has also been established to maintain detailed records of people crossing the open border.”
With tightened security and increased surveillance in Koshi Province, the APF has bolstered security at border points to prevent any undesirable or untoward incidents, Thapa said.
The Indian Army fired missiles in Pakistan-administered Kashmir last Wednesday, which India described as retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam attack, where terrorists gunned down 26 people, including a Nepali citizen.
Following Pakistan’s drone and missile attacks on areas including the Indian-administered city of Jammu, the India-Pakistan conflict appears to be escalating.
