Jammu Tawi/Srinagar, May 17:
As the high-profile G20 meeting inches closer and following a series of terror attacks in recent weeks especially in Poonch-Rajouri in Jammu Division, the security measures and strategy have undergone a shift to take on any eventuality. A new security element has been introduced in the valley as the picturesque Dal Lake in Srinagar Wednesday saw elite Marine Commandos (MARCOS) making several rounds of the famous Dal Lake as part of the acclimatisation process.
Importantly, the planned phased withdrawal of the Army from certain areas of the Jammu region has been put on hold “indefinitely” due to terror attacks orchestrated from across the border, officials in Srinagar said.
They claimed that the government intended to reduce the presence of the Rashtriya Rifles, an Army counter-insurgency force, in the Jammu region and hand over security to Jammu and Kashmir police and paramilitary forces.
In the Jammu region, the Army has three counter-insurgent forces (CIF): Delta Force (which oversees the Doda region), Romeo Force (which oversees the Rajouri and Poonch areas), and Uniform Force (which oversees the Udhampur and Banihal areas).
According to officials, some Army units planned to gradually hand over security and law and order management to local police and paramilitary units in the South of Pir Panjal (Jammu region).
However, officials have decided to shelve the proposal “indefinitely” in light of the current situation, particularly the terrorist killings this year.
Terrorists have killed 17 people in Jammu and Kashmir, including 10 Army personnel.
On January 1, this year, seven civilians were killed in Rajouri's Dhangri village. Five civilians were killed in a terrorist attack on January 1 evening, while two minors were killed the next day when an IED left behind by the terrorists before fleeing exploded.
On April 20, terrorists attacked a vehicle carrying five Army personnel in Bhatta Durrian, Mendhar tehsil, Poonch district. During Ramzan, the Army personnel were on their way to distribute ‘iftar' materials to a nearby village.
On May 5, terrorists detonated an IED in Kandi forest, Rajouri, killing five para commandos and injuring a major-rank officer.
The proposal to withdraw the Army from the hinterland had been discussed for some time, and a final recommendation was expected to be made at the Unified Headquarters (UHQ), which is led by Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha. The Army, police, and paramilitary forces are all represented at the UHQ.
Following the repeal of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, law and order and terror-related incidents had decreased, with the number of stone-pelting incidents reduced to zero.
