Will pre-empt terror attacks, boost locals’ morale
*Natural hideouts in mountains to be identified
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 11: Revising strategy to counter terror attacks, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have decided to deploy Army and paramilitary forces on the hills to pre-empt strikes by the terrorists on troops almost all of which are being carried out from the small mountains.
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A decision to this effect taken at the highest level of the MoD and MHA has been conveyed to top officials of Army and CRPF and their deployment in the hilly areas has started with immediate effect, official sources told the Excelsior.
Besides elimination of foreign terrorists, the deployment of Army and paramilitary forces along with police, SOG and Village Defence Groups (VDGs) will also boost morale of the local people who were feeling panicky following terror attacks and movement of terrorists in the hilly areas as they anticipate that they too could become soft targets.
“Army and paramilitary forces will man and carry out regular patrolling in the hilly areas of the districts where terrorists are suspected to have presence including Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Kathua and Reasi. Reports suggested that in some of the hills the terrorists have been using natural caves as their hideouts. Troops will identify and carry out operations in these hideouts to eliminate the terrorists,” the sources said.
Hills overlooking the roads used by the Army, paramilitary forces and police for patrolling will also be covered by the troops especially at the time when the convoy of security forces is moving, the sources said, adding that a direction has already gone to the security forces not to slow down movement on the roads.
Security forces have observed that most of the attacks targeting Army have been carried out by the terrorists from the hills selecting the isolated and kucha roads. In this task, they were assisted by the local guides.
“Presence of security personnel on the hills will also restore confidence among the population living in the hilly areas which has started feeling insecure following terror attacks on the troops,” the sources said.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh, who represents Udhampur-Doda-Kathua Parliamentary seat for third term, has appreciated strategic deployment of Army and paramilitary forces as per the new strategy.
Asserting that he is in constant touch with the authorities, Dr Jitendra Singh said the step will help in restoration of confidence of the people in upper reaches.
Troops from the Army’s 9 Corps have intensified their presence in the Kathua hills, while the Delta Force of the 16 Corps has moved in more personnel in the twin districts of Udhampur and Doda, focusing on areas like Seoj Dhar, historically a sanctuary for terrorists, particularly foreign militants, in 1990s.
This has been done to cordon the hilly areas so that the terrorists cannot escape, the sources said and added that the ground teams are being supported by surveillance data from unmanned aerial vehicles. Special Forces and sniffer dog units of the Army have also been deployed.
These areas are characterized by dense forests, deep valleys, caves, and rugged terrain, with troops contending with adverse weather conditions such as rain and fog, the officials said.
Since the attack on two Army vehicles at village Badnota near Machedi in Billawar area of Kathua district in which five Army personnel were martyred and another five injured, 60 people have been detained for questioning, including three individuals suspected of providing food and shelter to the terrorists.
Among those detained is a woman who cooked food and handed over it to a person. The quantity of food prepared was sufficient for “10 to 15 people”. Security agencies suspect that the food was intended for the terrorists.
On the search operation, the officials said troops are moving with caution as there is a threat of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDS).
The search has been expanded into the hilly areas of Kathua, Udhampur and Doda districts of the Jammu region that has seen a spate in terror incidents since June.
Security measures have been increased to counter potential IED threats along highways and other sensitive areas, including the sites of the ongoing Amarnath yatra, they said.
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