New Delhi: In an administrative move setting the stage for taking over the counter terrorism and counter-insurgency roles in Jammu division, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is all set to take over 21 camps of the Army, as per an order issued by the force.
These 21 camps—15 in Kathua and six in Udhampur districts—would be taken over by the force, including some by the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA), a specialised CRPF wing known for its guerrilla warfare.
There will be nearly two dozen CoBRA companies deployed at any given time in the Jammu division, according to a CRPF order. Udhampur and Kathua are considered sensitive locations under the internal security apparatus because infiltrators use them to mount attacks on security forces.
According to the sources, the details of the Army’s deinduction and CRPF’s induction at these camps were submitted before the Special DG-rank officer, who heads the J&K Zone, by the Jammu zone chief of the force.
In the communication, the IG-rank officer states that the fresh deployment and induction of 18 CoBRA companies are part of the long-term strategic plan outlined in August last year. Sources in the force said that the CRPF has been mandated to take over from the Army and its specialised counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism unit, the Rashtriya Rifles, in the Union Territory.
“This was long envisaged by the security establishment that the CRPF should take some burden off counter-insurgency from the shoulders of the Army, and the planning of such transfer of responsibilities was underway for several months to make it a smooth transition,” a CRPF source told ThePrint.
Their development in the counter-insurgency and counter-terrorism work in Jammu comes months after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) deployed them in another conflict-ridden state, Manipur. At the request of the Manipur government, the MHA deployed two CoBRA battalions in Manipur.
Known as ‘jungle warriors’ for their ability to track and hunt insurgents in jungles, the CoBRA battalions were earlier deployed in central India in the regions affected by Left-Wing Extremism (LWE). However, over the last few years, the CRPF brass has made moves to familiarise itself with different terrains and working conditions.
As part of the same objective, the MHA had deployed six companies of CoBRA in Jammu and Kashmir in 2023 for familiarisation induction. However, they were quickly pulled out of the Union Territory and redeployed to the LWE theatre.
(Edited by Tony Rai)