New Delhi: Reorientation of security forces
was being worked out in Jammu and Kashmir with BSF likely to
assume role of Road Opening Party (ROP) in certain militancy
infested areas and the Indian Army being sent to the LoC amid
reports that militants could make more desperate infiltration
bids during coming months.
A proposal for taking out a battalion of BSF (1,000
personnel) from North Kashmir has been cleared by the Defence
Ministry in consultation with the BSF and Jammu and Kashmir
Government and would be engaged in Road Opening Party for the movement of troops in various areas, a job which was being
undertaken by Rashtriya Rifles.
The units of Rashtriya Rifles were being shifted closer
to the border amid intelligence reports that Pakistan-based
terror organisations would be making desperate attempts to
enter into the valley from higher reaches in North Kashmir.
It may be mentioned that last year around this time,
battle-hardened terrorists of Lashker-e-Taiba had managed to
sneak into the Kashmir valley from Gurez and Kupwara and later
to other parts of the valley especially Sopore and Tral.
The presence of the Rashtraiya Rifles as the second line
of defence would help in close coordination among the various
units of the Army deployed along the LoC.
Besides this, the BSF had the expertise in RoP as the
para-military force had bore the initial brunt of militancy in
early 1990s.
Another unit of the BSF was also being pooled in for RoP
from an Air Force location and was awaiting in-principle
approval of defence ministry. The depletion of the forces
would be augmented by the Army and in-house security unit of
the Indian Air Force.
BSF was being pushed in for the RoP as certain battalions
of the CRPF was being pulled out of the militancy infested
areas for their deployment in Naxal infested areas.
This is in addition to the reduction of 35,000 troops
which have been withdrawn from the state during the reign of
the current National Conference-Congress government.
State Chief Minister Omar Abdullah recently acknowledged
on the floor of state assembly that infiltration had increased
by 98 per cent in 2009 as compared to 2008.
Moreover, there were inputs indicating that many more
militants were waiting across the Line of control (LoC) at
different launching pads for infiltration into Jammu and
Kashmir, he had said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 21, 2010, 19:54