New Delhi: The Indian Army has deployed a brigade-level force in Jammu, boosting the counter insurgency and counter terrorist (CI/CT) operations in the region after a spike in terrorist attacks.
This includes induction of a brigade headquarters along with three battalions of an infantry brigade (3,000 troops) and a few teams of the special forces (500 troops) in the past week.
These troops are in addition to the already existing structures, including the Romeo and Delta units of the Rashtriya Rifles as well as the 25 Infantry Division and 26 Infantry Division.
Additionally, more Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel — whose numbers are not known — were also moved to the region.
Currently, nearly 40 battle-hardened terrorists are operating in the region, according to sources in the defence establishment. In recent times, terrorists are active mainly in Reasi, Doda, Bhaderwah, Kathua and Udhampur.
The 25 Infantry Division, part of the Northern command, is responsible for border guarding of the Line of Control (LC). The 26 Infantry Division, which is under the Western command, is into counter insurgency/counter terrorism (CI/CT) duties as well as border guarding
Entrusted with CI/CT operations, Romeo unit oversees Poonch, Rajouri and Reasi districts, while Delta Force is in charge of Ramban, Doda, Udhampur and Kishtwar districts.
In the region under Romeo and Delta forces, mountains are as high as 14,500 ft. There are as many as 86 bowls — thick and forested areas which are fertile grounds for terrorists to operate — in this region.
The recent attacks that have taken place in Jammu region are suspected to have been perpetrated by a new batch of terrorists who infiltrated six months back. They comprise fighters from Pakistan’s Punjab as well as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa regions, according to the sources.
As reported by ThePrint earlier, the death toll among security forces in the Jammu region between 2021 and now has gone up to 51 personnel. This includes the latest killing of three jawans and a Captain in an ambush by unidentified terrorists in Doda.
Further, two soldiers also were injured in an encounter with terrorists in a forest village in the Doda district at Jaddan Bata village in Kastigarh area the following day.
‘Kashmir Tigers’, a front of Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), has claimed its role in the Doda attack as well as the one in Kathua.
The sources explained that in recent times, the number of attacks have gone up due to lack of intelligence, both human and signal. One of the “probable reasons” for this is the thinning of troops as a result of moving additional personnel to Ladakh in 2021 due to tensions with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Moreover, even the terrorists are now using modern weapons, ammunition and encrypted communication equipment which are tough to intercept, the sources said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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