The government of Punjab on Tuesday sought the deployment of an additional 15 companies of paramilitary forces in the state after intelligence inputs suggested that militant groups may step up infiltration attempts, ANI reported. The development comes in the wake of a high alert issued after the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes along the Line of Control on September 29.

The request by state authorities also came as Director General of the Border Security Force KK Sharma said the BSF had not given the order to evacuate villages near the international border between Indian and Pakistan after the surgical strikes, according to ANI. Nearly 15 lakh people from 1,000 villages along the LoC in Punjab were evacuated and sent to other districts of the state after the Army carried out its surgical strikes.

Separately, BSF troops also seized an abandoned boat of Pakistani origin from the Tota Guru post near Amritsar in the Ravi river. BSF Inspector General Anil Paliwal said the border force was investigating the matter. On Monday, BSF personnel had opened fire along the Chakkri border outpost near Gurdaspur in Punjab after they spotted suspicious movement in the area.