New Delhi: Amid back-to-back terror attacks, two battalions of the Assam Rifles are being deployed in Jammu region from Manipur to beef up the anti-terrorism grid in north of Samba, especially in the Machedi sector, ThePrint has learnt.
Sources in the defence and security establishment said that a need was felt to beef up the security grid in the region daunted by forests and hills by specialised Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) who have operational experience in countering terrorists in such areas.
Accordingly, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has decided to send two Battalions of the Assam Rifles to Jammu with the possibility that another could be sent in as well.
The Assam Rifles battalions are to be deployed in Machedi in Kathua and will focus on combing through the forested and hilly terrains once they establish a grid.
These personnel have years of experience in countering terrorism in such terrain.
Assam Rifles is the only paramilitary force in the country, and while it operationally comes under the Army and is headed by an Army officer, it reports to the MHA.
Also read: M4 rifles to encrypted radios & complacency, here’s why terrorists are causing mayhem in Jammu
As reported by ThePrint, about 40 terrorists, mostly from Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) have managed to infiltrate into the Jammu region, mostly through the International Border manned by the BSF over the past one year.
It is these terrorists, armed with American M4 rifles, night vision sights and telescopic lenses, and encrypted radio sets, who split into smaller groups of three to five each and have unleashed a terror mayhem after having taken time to understand the terrain and deployment patterns of the security forces.
Talking about the plan ahead, sources said that the priority is to first beef up the security grid, establish foot on the ground and then launch a full scale coordinated operation in time to take on the terrorists. This operation could involve the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, too, which will seal off escape routes.
Over the last few months, the Army has inducted additional, nearly Division-level strength of forces into the Jammu region.
As reported earlier, the death toll among security forces in the Jammu region between 2021 and now has climbed to over 50.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray)