The Nepal Route: Terrorists could exploit open borders, Nepal security warns India

Nepal security officials have given a caution to India regarding the possible infiltration of Pakistan-based terror outfits such as Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) into India via the Nepal border. The warning from the Nepal officials is an alarm for the Indian security forces to be vigilant amidst the tense situation still lingering in the wake of the recent Pahalgam terror incident!

As the nation is yet to recover from the terrible and inhuman Pahalgam terror incident, the Nepal security officials have sent an alarm to India to be watchful of the terrorists transgressing into the country through Nepal. Sunil Bahadur Thapa, Advisor to the President of Nepal, exclaimed this warning while speaking at a high-level seminar organised by the Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) in Kathmandu.

Nepal: A Potential Route for Terrorists to Penetrate into India

India shares a land border of 1,751 km with Nepal. It is an open border that has a visa-free regime. Thus, citizens of both countries consistently travel across the border for the purpose of a job or to visit families, as both nations share a strong cultural link. These flexible border protocols help the terrorists to easily infiltrate India via Nepal by masking or faking their identities.

In 2017, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), which is the primary force to guard the Indo-Nepal border, arrested a Pakistani-based terrorist 2017 who was seeking to infiltrate into India. In the wake of the Pahalgam incident and the military and strategic edge achieved by India during Operation Sindoor, the security situation is still at unease and precarious. Thus, the nation must stay vigilant in all its borders beyond Pakistan to check any illegal activities and to protect the security of the nation, because the military coup and unstable regime in Myanmar, changing political dynamics of Bangladesh, are indeed a cause for concern.

In the seminar held in Kathmandu, Nepal, security officials and experts also highlighted the fact that how Pakistan’s support to terrorism has been a prickly point for the integration of SAARC and for the overall peace, security and stability of the region. The statement is a reiteration towards India’s commitment to fight against the terror menace emanating from Pakistan and boosts India’s resolve to establish regional peace, security, and prosperity along with its neighbours.