News Analysis India

Tag: CRPF

  • ‘Experienced’ CRPF hands to secure Srinagar amid surge in militancy

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  The CRPF has pulled out its men from north and south Kashmir to deploy them in sensitive Srinagar instead of directly inducting new companies that are being rushed to the restive Union Territory.

    CRPF spokesman Abhiram Pankaj told this newspaper that some companies have been inducted in Srinagar after they were pulled out from north and south Kashmir. Terming it “rationalisation” of troops, he said none from the new companies arriving in the Valley are being deployed in Srinagar. 

    This newspaper had on October 23 reported that 5,000 more additional troops were being rushed to the Valley after surge in militant violence, especially targeted killings of migrant labourers in Srinagar. Another security official said after the arrival of additional companies, there has been internal re-deployment of paramilitary personnel.

    “The new companies coming to the Valley don’t have enough experience.  They will gain the experience during their stay in Kashmir. New companies have not been deployed at sensitive areas, including Srinagar, and have been deployed at static locations like security installations or residences of VIPs,” he said adding, “New companies have been deployed in less sensitive and less vulnerable areas. The CRPF men who have been for a longer duration in Kashmir understand the situation better and they are deployed for crowd dealing”.

    Asked whether pulling out troops from north and south Kashmir would create security gaps, the official replied in the negative.

    “The additional companies that arrived in the Valley to strengthen the security apparatus have already been deployed there.”  On deployment of CRPF personnel in Srinagar, he said the force is well versed in dealing with the situation.

    Meanwhile, a policeman was shot dead by terrorists in the Batamaloo area of the city on Sunday, officials said.

    The cop, identified as constable Tausif Ahmad, was critically injured and taken to the SMHS hospital where doctors declared him brought dead, they said.

    “At about 8 pm, terrorists fired upon Jammu and Kashmir Police constable Tausif Ahmad near his residence at S D Colony, Batamaloo,” an official said.

    The area has been cordoned off, and a hunt has been launched to nab the attackers, they added.

    Political parties, including the Congress, National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed anguish over the killing.

    Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Ghulam Ahmad Mir termed the attack as shameful and mindless on the part of gunmen and said such incidents are highly condemnable and unacceptable in a civilised society.

    “I am deeply saddened and shocked to learn about the killing of Touseef Ahmad,” Mir said and conveyed deepest condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for courage to the family members to bear the irreparable loss.

    The JKPCC president expressed serious concern over the “deteriorating” security situation and termed the attacks on policemen and civilians as matter of grave concern.

    He urged the government to take effective measures to deal with the situation to end the bloodshed.

    In a tweet, the NC said: “Unequivocally condemn the cowardly & dastardly attack on 29-year-old policeman in Batmaloo, Srinagar in which he lost his life. No words of condemnation would be enough! May Allah grant him a place in Jannat. Our hearts go out to his family and friends at this time of grief,” the NC said in a tweet.

    The PDP tweeted: “Anguished by the attack in Batamaloo which has claimed the life of @JmuKmrPolice cop Tauseef Ahmed. May his family find strength to bear the loss.”

    People’s Conference president Sajad Lone said he was pained to hear about the killing.

    “Yet again an addition to army of orphans and widows. Pained to hear about the killing of Constable Touseef Ahmed. My heartfelt commiserations to the family. Inshallah Allah will grant Jannat,’ Lone said.

    CPI(M) leader M Y Tarigami also condemned the killing of the policeman.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Omar, Mehbooba express strong objection to using community halls as security barracks in J-K

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Saturday said the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir had “regressed” to such an extent that community halls built during his tenure as chief minister of the erstwhile state were being used as barracks for security forces.

    “My Government built community/marriage halls & demolished bunkers in Srinagar. It’s disappointing to see the security situation in the city has now regressed so far that new bunkers are being constructed & the marriage halls are being used as barracks for security forces,” he wrote on Twitter.

    My Government built community/marriage halls & demolished bunkers in Srinagar. It’s disappointing to see the security situation in the city has now regressed so far that new bunkers have are being constructed & the marriage halls are being used as barracks for security forces.
    — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) November 6, 2021
    His remarks came after reports of a few community halls or marriage halls being taken over by the CRPF here.

    The security forces’ presence has been strengthened in Srinagar following a recent spike in militant attacks.

    Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti also lashed out at the government over the move, and said every day more draconian laws are brought in with the sole purpose of suffocating people into silence.

    “After placing security bunkers at every nook & corner of Srinagar, CRPF personnel have been pushed into marriage halls which is the only private space left for people here. Every day more draconian laws are brought in with the sole purpose of suffocating people into silence,” she tweeted.

    After placing security bunkers at every nook & corner of Srinagar, CRPF personnel have been pushed into marriage halls which is the only private space left for people here. Every day more draconian laws are brought in with the sole purpose of suffocating people into silence. https://t.co/INmx3IoS7Q
    — Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) November 6, 2021
    Meanwhile, Srinagar mayor Junaid Azim Mattu raised the issue with the divisional administration for exploring alternative options for housing the security personnel.

    He said the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) was not consulted on the issue.

    “Have spoken to Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pole Sb regarding the issue of SMC Community Halls being made available to the CRPF…SMC wasn’t consulted on this decision,” he tweeted.

    Mattu noted that community halls are integral to social and community functions, and are constructed in areas where people do not have huge houses and lawns.

    “They, hence, are a community necessity. A lot of money has been spent on their construction, upkeep and maintenance,” he said.

    The mayor said the Kashmir divisional commissioner has assured him that “alternative options will be explored”.

    “I have strongly urged for this. It is very important that community facilitation services are not hampered. It would be a huge inconvenience to people and also stigmatise law and order measures,” he said.

    Mattu maintained that CRPF personnel deployed in Srinagar should have decent and appropriate housing facilities, but community halls should be left for community services.

    “This is not a political issue – and should not be distorted as such,” he added.

    Public Relation Officer (PRO), CRPF, Abhiram Pankaj said additional troops from within Kashmir Valley were deployed in the city in view of the requirement.

    “Rationalisation has happened. These troops have come from north and south Kashmir,” he said.

    Asked why the troopers were housed in community halls, the official said the places for accommodating the forces were chosen by the civil administration.

    “The CRPF is getting deployed at the behest of the civil administration. They put us into a place of their choosing,” he added.

  • Marriage halls to station CRPF jawans as additional troops rushed to J&K

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  As 5,000 additional paramilitary forces have been rushed to the militancy-hit Valley after recent targeted killings and encounters, the paramilitary CRPF men took over some marriage (community) halls in Srinagar to station troops there.

    The force took over marriage (community) halls at Shutrashahi area of uptown Srinagar and Illahibagh-Malbagh area of downtown Srinagar. These community (marriage) halls have been constructed by the government and used by the locals mostly for marriage functions after paying a commission to the administration.

    Local residents of the two areas have expressed concern over the taking over of the community centre by the CRPF. Meanwhile, CRPF spokesman Abhiram Pankaj said CRPF on its own choice has never taken over an inch of space anywhere.

    “We are here to assist and support the local police and local administration and it is their responsibility where they lodge us,” he said.

    The police and paramilitary personnel have also constructed bunkers in many parts of Srinagar city.

    Brief encounter in Srinagar hospital

    Militants on Friday gave a slip to security forces after a brief encounter in premises of a hospital in Srinagar.

    A police official said a brief exchange of gunfire took place between militants and security men at SKIMS Hospital, Bemina.

    There were no injuries or casualties on both sides in the brief gunfight. Immediately after the shoot-out, police, CRPF and army men launched a search operation to track down the militants.

    The police official said militants managed to escape by taking advantage of civilian presence.

    The security apparatus in Srinagar has been intensified after the targetted killings of persons from minority communities by militants last month.

  • Naxalism, terrorism discussed at security meet chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Union Home minister Amit Shah on Monday chaired a high-level security meeting with the police chiefs of all states and Union Territotries as well as those of all central police forces — CRPF, CISF, BSF, SSB and Assam Rifles. 

    Various security and policing issues were discussed in the biannual review meeting, officials said. The meeting is part of the exercise initiated by the home minister to meet the top police brass once in six months. Terrorism and Naxalism were discussed at length in the National Security Strategies  Conference that took place at the headquarters of Intelligence Bureau (IB) in the national capital. 

    “Deliberations were detailed and expansive, given the presence of all DGPs and DGs of central police forces. The conference deliberated on various internal security challenges and discussed ways to tackle them firmly,”  a home ministry spokesperson said.

    While the meeting covered a wide range of security issues, the developments in Jammu and Kashmir — which has been witnessing a spate of targeted killings of migrant labourers — were also discussed  in the meeting, sources said.  In October so far, 13 civilians — five of them coming from other states — have been killed by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, setting off a wave of panic among the people. An official said this indicates that the terrorists want to drive people from other states out of Kashmir.

    On Sunday, two men from Bihar were gunned down by terrorists in Kashmir’s Kulgam district. Twenty-four hours earlier, a gol-gappa hawker from Bihar and a carpenter from Uttar Pradesh were shot dead in the Kashmir Valley.The security forces have also intensified anti-terror operations killing 13 militants so far, according to the Jammu and Kashmir Police.  

    The series of attacks on civilians come days before the home minister is to make his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir since the erstwhile state was bifurcated into two Union Territories and its special status granted under the Constitution was scrapped in August 2019.

  • CRPF DG in Kashmir Valley to expedite work on safe camps for labourers

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI:  Aiming to accelerate construction of special security camps for migrant workers in Kashmir, the DG of CRPF, who also happens to be the DG of NIA, flew to the Valley on Monday to review the arrangements. 

    Sources said the main purpose of his visit, which comes in the wake of a spate in targeted killings of non-locals, is to review the final arrangements made for the proposed security camps, the construction work on which is likely to begin soon.  

    Highly placed sources said that the DG, Kuldeep Singh, asked agencies to compile data on the number of non-locals in the Valley and the present security arrangements available for them. Singh, who would be camping in the Valley for next few days, would apprise the home ministry about the number of camps that would be required, the timeline in which these camps could be readied and the necessary resources that would be required to build these camps, a top government functionary told this newspaper.

    “The Union Ministry of Home Affairs is likely to deploy more CRPF companies in the Valley for the protection of these camps. Orders to this effect may be issued soon,” the official said. Sources said that for the time being, senior security officials were toying with the idea of converting schools that were not in use into temporary shelters for the non-locals. “Details such as the number of non-locals are being compiled along with the security arrangements that have been made for Pandits, Sikhs and non-locals  living in Kashmir,” said a senior security official. A similar plan to secure non-locals in Kashmir had been put in place right after the abrogation of Article 370.

  • Pulwama: Militants involved in Srinagar cop’s killing gunned down in joined operation

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR:  Two militants, who were involved in killing of a civilian and a sub inspector in Srinagar, were killed in twin gunfights in Pulwama and Srinagar on Friday. In Wahibugh area of Pulwama, police, CRPF and army launched a joint cordon and search operation to trace militants in the afternoon. 

    When the militants fired on the search party, a gunfight took place in which militant was killed and an AK rifle along with magazine and ammunition were recovered from the encounter site. The slain militant was identified as Shahid Basir Sheikh from downtown Srinagar. 

    Another gunfight erupted between militants and security forces in Bemina area of Srinagar in the evening. The gunfight ended with the neutralisation of a militant of The Resistance Front. Sources identified the militant as Tanzeel from Habba Kadal area of downtown Srinagar.

    Sheikh was involved in recent killing of Mohammad Shafi Dar, a Power Development Department (PDD) employee, on October 2, IG, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar, said adding that Tanzeel was involved in the killing of Sub Inspector Arshid Ahmed near Khanyar in downtown Srinagar on September 12.

    Seven civilians including three minority community members and a street vendor from Bihar were shot dead by militants in Kashmir last week. Six of the civilian killings have taken place in Srinagar alone.

    After the spate of civilian killings, security arrangements across the Srinagar and other parts of the Valley was increased. At least 10 militants, including a top Jaish commander,  have been killed in seven gunfights in Kashmir this week. 

  • CRPF head constable killed by ‘accidental fire’ from service rifle in Bastar

    By Express News Service

    RAIPUR: A Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel was killed and his colleague injured following an accidental firing from the former’s INSAS assault rifle, inside a passenger bus in the Maoist-affected Bijapur district, south Chhattisgarh.

    “It seems the service rifle of head constable Trilok Singh of CRPF’s 229 battalion, owing to some jerk inside a bus, got accidentally discharged. It created panic among the passengers inside the bus but they were safe. The bullet, after hitting Trilok’s head, pierced through the roof of the bus and injured another jawan who was sitting on top of the bus for security reasons. Singh later succumbed to his injuries”, said Kamal Lochan Kashyap, Bijapur superintendent of police.

    The injured personnel was identified as Rajendra Singh. The jawans were proceeding on a leave, the police officials said.

    “A probe has been ordered into the incident”, the SP added. 

  • J&K: Militants shoot cop from behind in Srinagar, killed

    Express News Service

    SRINAGAR: Militants killed an sub-inspector of Jammu and Kashmir Police in downtown Srinagar on Sunday, with the attack being caught on  CCTV cameras. It was the second such attack in Srinagar in the last three days after the grenade attack in Chanapora area on Friday. A CRPF jawan and a  woman were injured in the grenade blast.

    Sub Inspector Arshid Ashraf Mir at Khanyar area was shot twice from a close range in downtown Srinagar at around 1.40 pm. Mir was evacuated to Sheri Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences-Soura, where he succumbed to injuries. Immediately after the militant attack, police and CRPF men launched a search operation to track down militants responsible for the attack. However, no arrests were reported during the hour-long search operation.

    In a CCTV footage, which has gone viral on social media, a militant is seen firing from behind at Mir, who hailed from Handwara area of border district of Kupwara. J&K Director General of Police Dilbagh Singh said the perpetrators involved in the attack were identified and will be brought to justice. All investigating agencies and special teams are investigating today’s attack, he told reporters at the wreath laying ceremony aat District Police Lines. “Soon we will crack it (the case).”

    He, however, refused to name the militant group involved in the attack. “In Srinagar, dozens of militant modules involved in grenade attacks and killing of security men and civilians have been busted. When an old team is busted, a new team tries to take over their place. We have identified the members of the new module and they will be brought to justice soon,” the J&K police chief said.

  • Border forces, armed counter-terrorism units to have training module on Taliban

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Border forces and armed police units deployed in the counter-terrorism grid have been directed by the central security establishment to prepare and administer a new training module on the Taliban and its modus operandi to the troops in view of the “emerging” scenario following the Islamic militia taking over Afghanistan.

    Stating that the fall of Kabul to the Taliban last month may have a “serious bearing” on the security situation in India, the ground forces and their intelligence setup have been asked to update both their strategy, tactics and combat syllabus on the new “geo-political situation in central and south Asia and its grave security implication on India’s borders and the hinterland”.

    The directive issued by the security establishment a few days back also envisages a scenario where infiltration from across the border from Pakistan on India’s west and illegal entry of terrorist operatives from open fronts in the east may increase including that by foreign terrorist fighters.

    Officials in the central security forces and intelligence wings acknowledged the new developments that have taken place in the neighbourhood after the Taliban swiftly took over almost all provinces of Afghanistan last month following the US military retreating from their 20-year war in that country launched after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001 in their country.

    A senior officer told PTI that the existing training module of border guarding forces like the BSF and SSB, state police units and those involved in counter-terrorist duties like the CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir Police have an existing title “changing dynamics of border management”.

    “This included information on the Taliban as well but it was not updated. That is being added through open-source authentic information and others available in a classified manner to us and the focus is the developments of the last twenty years that took place in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks,” the officer said.

    A full-fledged training, intelligence and combat module on Taliban, its leadership and their modus operandi is being prepared apart from specific case studies that have taken place in that country and the region, he said.

    The directives have been forwarded to the central and state police forces which have multiple levels of training centres and academies to train their personnel and officers during induction and while in service.

    “It is very important for the last man standing at the border, a checkpost or under a police jurisdiction to know about the Taliban’s history and linked activities and strategies. Senior and top commanders of the security forces may know most of the things about Afghanistan and Taliban situation but they draw their operational strength from the troops or the constable standing on the ground. They need to be informed well,” another senior officer working in the training management division of a paramilitary force said.

    At least one such session has been conducted in two central forces post the issuance of the new directives while a webinar for all these forces is being planned in a combined manner to be held later this month, a Union home ministry official said.

    A third officer said the latest directions make it clear that such sessions should also be held for the troops and commanding officers on the ground during “daily operational briefing sessions” in their area of deployment and case studies on the Taliban are being prepared in “local and vernacular languages” for the troops.

    The security forces are also enhancing their training quota of personnel for understanding IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and vehicle-borne IEDs (VBIEDs). “IEDs remain a constant threat to the security personnel and their operations everywhere be it anti-Naxal operations or counter-terrorist duties. However, for those deployed in the Kashmir valley knowing IEDs and VBIEDs, their detection and crippling is very important post the Afghanistan development,” one of the officers cited above said and referred to the fatal and non-fatal casualties suffered by the NATO forces from IEDs in Afghanistan.

  • CRPF jawan, two civilians injured as militants lob grenade at security forces in J-K’s Baramulla

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: Three people, including a CRPF head constable, were injured on Friday when militants lobbed a grenade towards security forces in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, police said.

    Militants hurled a grenade at a security forces party near SBI Main Chowk Sopore in north Kashmir district, a police official said.

    He said a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) head constable and two civilians were injured in the explosion.

    The injured were taken to a hospital for treatment, the official said.

    Meanwhile, in another incident, militants targeted a CRPF camp here with a grenade, but no loss of life or injury has been reported so far, the officials said.

    About 8:30 pm, militants hurled a grenade at CRPF Camp of at Nowpora Chowk which exploded on the roadside, they said.

    The officials said a sentry on duty fired some aerial shots after the explosion, but no loss of life or injury was reported so far.