News Analysis India

Tag: Indian Army

  • Amid increased Chinese deployment along LAC, Indian Army holds conference of top brass

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: A conference of the top brass of the Indian Army began on Monday in New Delhi to brainstorm the security situation at the Line of Actual Control and the Line of Control with Pakistan, among other issues.

    A senior Army officer said, “All operational matters were discussed today and also the promotion of senior officers from Major General to Lieutenant General.”

    The conference will continue for the next three days to chart the future course for the Indian Army in the backdrop of the situation along the borders and the challenges imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Army Chief General MM Naravane had recently expressed concern over the situation along the Line of Control. On the western border, the DGs of Military Operations of India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire in February this year. 

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    As reported by The New Indian Express, General Naravane said, “The Chinese have deployed (their forces) in considerable numbers across Eastern Ladakh and up to the eastern command. There has been an increase in the deployment and it is a matter of concern for us. We are also carrying out matching developments in terms of infrastructure and deployment of troops. We are poised to meet any eventuality.”

    The Army Commanders’ Conference is an apex level biannual event held in April and October every year. The conference is an institutional platform for conceptual level deliberations, culminating in important policy decisions for the Indian Army. The Army Chief, the seven Army Commanders and the Vice Chief of Army meet during the conference. Other senior officers including the Principal Staff Officers and the DGs of the Directorates are called in to share their inputs as per the requirements.

    The conference is also a formal forum for the senior leadership of the Indian Army to interact with senior officials of the Department of Military Affairs and Department of Defence.

    During the conference, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will address and interact with the Army Commanders. The Chief of Defence Staff and the Chiefs of the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force are also scheduled to address the senior leadership of the Indian Army on avenues for promoting tri-service synergy.

  • Firing resumes in J&K’s forest, search operation enters 15th day

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Heavy firing was reported from a forest area as a massive search operation to track down hiding terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir’s twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri entered the 15th day on Monday, officials said.

    It was not immediately clear whether the firing in Bhatti Durrian forest was the result of a fresh contact with the terrorists, believed to be hiding in caves deep inside the forest, the officials said.

    Nine Army personnel including two JCO’s and an arrested Pakistani terrorist have been killed and three security men injured since the commencement of the operation on October 11.

    While five Army personnel were killed on the first day of the operation in Surankote forest of Poonch, four other soldiers lost their lives in Bhatti Durrian area of Mendhar on October 14.

    The Pakistani terrorist, who was shifted from Kot Bhalwal Central Jail Jammu to Mendhar on police remand for questioning in connection with the ongoing operation was killed when the security forces accompanying him to identify a hideout came under fire from hiding terrorists on Sunday.

    Besides Surankote and Mendhar, the search operation also continued in nearby Thanamandi forest in Rajouri district.

    The officials said Army helicopters made several sorties over the besieged forest area, while drones are also being used to keep a tight surveillance to ensure that the terrorists are not able to flee.

    Nearly a dozen persons including two women were also detained for questioning after it came to light that they allegedly provided logistic support including food and shelter to the terrorists, the officials said.

    Traffic between Mendhar and Thanamandi along the Jammu-Rajouri highway remained suspended as a precautionary measure for the 10th day on Monday in the wake of the ongoing operation.

    Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region have witnessed a rise in infiltration attempts since June this year, resulting in the killing of nine terrorists in separate encounters.

  • Civilian killed in firing incident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: A civilian was killed in a firing incident in Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday, officials said.

    The incident took place in Zainapora area of Shopian in south Kashmir.

    The civilian has been identified as Shahid Ahmad.

    The circumstances of the incident are being probed, the officials said, adding further details are awaited.

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  • Three security men, Pakistani terrorist injured in fresh firing by militants in J&K’s Poonch

    By PTI

    JAMMU: Three security personnel and an arrested Pakistani terrorist were injured on Sunday when militants opened fire on a joint search party of the Army and police inside a forest in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

    Heavy firing and explosions were reported from Bhatta Durrian forest of Mendhar which along with nearby forest areas adjoining Surankote (Poonch) and Thanamandi in Rajouri district is witnessing a massive search operation, the officials said.

    The operation, which saw nine Army personnel losing their lives in separate ambushes in Surankote and Mendhar on October 11 and 14, entered the 14th day on Sunday.

    A police spokesperson said two policemen and an Army jawan along with a prisoner Zia Mustafa, a Pakistani terrorist affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were injured in fresh firing by terrorists in Bhatta Durrian forest this morning.

    “Detenue Mustafa was taken to Bhatadurian for identification of terrorist hideout during the ongoing operation in which three Army jawans and a JCO were martyred (on October 14).”

    “During the search when the team approached the hideout, terrorists again opened fire on the joint team of police and Army personnel in which two policemen and an Army jawan sustained injuries,” the spokesperson said.

    The police said Mustafa also sustained injuries and he could not be taken out from the site due to heavy fire.

    “Injured personnel are under treatment at the nearby health facility. A fresh attempt will be made with reinforcements (to neutralise terrorists and retrieve the injured Mustafa,” the spokesperson said, adding that an operation at the site is still going on.

    Officials said Mustafa, a resident of Rawalakot in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, was lodged in Kot Bhalwal jail for the last 14 years and was shifted to Mendhar on police remand after investigation revealed his link with the hiding terrorists.

    Mustafa had sneaked into this side from the same route before he was arrested from south Kashmir, the officials said.

    The operation in the forest areas in the twin border districts commenced on October 11 when terrorists ambushed a search party killing five soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) in Surankote forest of Poonch before another gunfight in nearby Thanamandi on the same day.

    On October 14, the terrorists struck again and killed four soldiers including a JCO in Nar Khas forest in Mendhar as the security forces extended the cordon and search operation to neutralise the fleeing terrorists.

    Drones and helicopters were pressed into service to assist the marching troops, which included para-commandos, in the jungle spread over nearly 8 kmX2 km area at a distance of four km from the Line of Control (LoC), the officials said.

    Ten persons, including two women, were detained for questioning after it came to light that they allegedly provided logistic support including food and shelter to the terrorists, the officials said.

    An Army official said on Saturday that a major part of the forest was cleared and now the search area is restricted to a location housing a number of natural caves.

    “There was no contact with the terrorist after the initial gunfights on October 11 and October 14. The search area was expanded in search of the terrorists,” the official had said, hoping to conclude the operation with the clearance of the natural caves within a day or two depending on the weather conditions.

    Traffic between Mendhar and Thanamandi along the Jammu-Rajouri highway remained suspended as a precautionary measure for the ninth day on Sunday in the wake of the ongoing operation.

    Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region have witnessed a rise in infiltration attempts since June this year, resulting in the killing of nine terrorists in separate encounters.

  • Procuring advanced surveillance systems is Indian armed forces’ topmost priority: CDS Bipin Rawat

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Procuring advanced surveillance systems that can help India keep an eye on its land borders and oceans is the topmost priority of the armed forces right now, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat said on Thursday.

    He also said that after surveillance capabilities, India needs to focus on boosting its cyber capabilities.

    “Our first and foremost priority is surveillance. We need anything that can help is in maintaining surveillance on our land borders and on our oceans. This is our fist priority,” he said at a defence conclave here when asked what are Indian armed forces’ requirements that should be the focus of private industry.

    “We want to jump the cyber from lower priority to higher priority because we find that our adversary is developing cyber capabilities at a very fast pace,” he also said.

    If you are not able to match the adversary, then no matter how good or sophisticated your systems are, if they are going to be affected through cyber attacks, they will be no use to us, he asserted.

    Gen Rawat said a very rapid transformation is taking place in the international domain.

    “And accordingly, our own region is also undergoing rapid changes and we can see the way the dynamics of international relations in our own vicinity is taking shape,” he added.

    “It is both a major advantage to us in the manner in which there is collaboration taking place amongst like-minded nations, and it will also pose a big challenge in the future,” he said.

  • Army inducts upgraded L70 anti-aircraft guns in forward areas along LAC in Arunachal Pradesh sector

    By PTI

    TAWANG: In a major boost to its fire power, the Indian Army has deployed a sizeable number of upgraded L70 anti-aircraft guns in the high mountains along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh in addition to its existing M-777 howitzers and Swedish Bofors guns, officials said on Wednesday.

    The deployment of the anti-aircraft guns having a range of 3.5 km in the treacherous region is part of a series of measures that the Army has taken to bolster its operational preparedness along the over 1,300-km LAC in eastern sector in the face of the 17-month standoff in eastern Ladakh.

    The Army has already positioned a significant number of M-777 howitzer guns that were first received three years ago.

    As part of a high state of preparedness to deal with any eventuality, the Army units including those of the ‘integrated defended locality’ have been undergoing strenuous physical training and military drills on a daily basis.

    The ‘integrated defended locality’ is a specialised unit comprising various arms of the Army including infantry, air defence, and artillery.

    Military officials said the upgraded L70 guns were deployed around two-three months ago in several key locations in Arunachal Pradesh in addition to other sensitive positions along the entire LAC and that their inductions have significantly enhanced the Army’s overall fire power.

    “The guns can bring down all unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned combat aerial vehicles, attack helicopters and modern aircraft. The gun has enhanced target acquisition and automatic target tracking capability under all weather conditions with high-resolution electro-optical sensors comprising a daylight television camera, a thermal imaging camera and a laser-range finder,” said Capt Sarya Abbasi of the Army Air Defence.

    “The gun is also equipped with a Muzzle Velocity Radar for enhancing the accuracy of fire. The gun has the ability to be integrated with tactical and fire control radars which give it more flexibility in its deployment,” she said.

    Capt Abbasi said the legacy gun has now been transformed into a sophisticated air defence gun.

    Another official said the upgraded gun system that operates along with a high-end Israeli radar can be counted among the best available air defence guns in its class globally.

    In the last few months, the Army has also deployed a good number of easily transportable M-777 ultra light howitzer guns which are at times moved from one place to another in Chinook helicopters depending on operational requirement.

    “The addition of upgraded L70 air defence guns to the existing Bofors guns and recently inducted M-777 howitzers significantly enhanced the Indian Army’s overall operational capability,” said a senior official on condition of anonymity.

    The L70 guns were originally manufactured by Swedish defence firm Bofors AB in 1950s and India has stared inducting over 1,000 of them in the 1960s.

    The legacy guns have been upgraded by state-run Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL).

    Following the escalation in tension in eastern Ladakh standoff, the Army has taken a series of measures to boost its operational capabilities in the eastern sector bordering China that included procurement of all terrain vehicles, precision guided ammunition, high-tech surveillance equipment, radars and weapons.

    Officials said enhancing combat capability is a continuous process and it will go in sync with operational requirements and overall security situation.

    They said an equal amount of focus has been given to enhancing operational capability in the Northern as well as eastern sector.

    The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

    The tension escalated following a deadly clash in Galwan Valley on June 15 last year.

    As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area in August and in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February.

    The last round of military talks on October 10 ended in a stalemate following which both sides blamed each other for the impasse.

    In a strong statement after the 13th round of talks, the Indian Army said the “constructive suggestions” made by it at the negotiations were neither agreeable to the Chinese side nor could Beijing provide any “forward-looking” proposals.

    Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.

  • ‘Stay indoors’, J&K Police tells locals as forces go for final kill in Poonch forest

    By IANS

    JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Tuesday asked people not to move towards the forest area in J&K’s Poonch district where an encounter is going on between the Army and the militants for the last 8 days.

    Police made appeals to people through public address systems in mosques in the Bahatdhurian area of Poonch, urging them not to move towards the jungle and keep their livestock inside their premises.

    “These announcements were made after some people were seen moving towards jungle along with livestock amid ongoing encounter in the area.

    “People can contact police any time and we are in the service of public 24X7. We will ensure home delivery of anything needed by them urgently,” a police officer said.

    Police did not agree that these announcements were being made because the Army was preparing a major offensive against the militants hiding in the jungle area.

    Defence sources said six militants have been killed in the 8-day-long operation against the militants in the area.

    Nine soldiers, including two JCOs, have also been killed in this operation.

    Army chief, M.M. Naravane visited the area on Tuesday along with senior field commanders.

  • India looks at reviewing its future responses against China at strategic level

    Express News Service

    RUPA (ARUNACHAL PRADESH): Consequent to the unilateral breach of agreements along the Line of Actual Control by China in Eastern Ladakh, Commander-in-Chief of Indian Army’s Eastern Command Lt Gen MK Pande suggested that India is reviewing its future responses at the higher level.

    Lt Gen Pande also said that China has increased its troops levels on its sides in Eastern Sector in the depth areas and they have not yet gone back.

    Replying to the question of The New Indian Express, Lt Gen MK Pande, said, “In terms of our larger guidance, strategic guidance in terms of dealing with situation on the LAC is to respect the mutually agreed protocols and agreements, and that has been our effort, notwithstanding what has been the action or response from the other side. Consequent to what happened and what we need to do in the future, is something I reckon is being looked at at a higher level.”

    In May 2020 China moved a large body of its People’s Liberation Army troops at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh after a clash between the troops of the two sides at Finger 4 location along the North Bank of the Pangong Tso.

    The standoff started at Finger 4 and spread to Galwan, Gogra, Hotspring and South Bank of Pangong Tso. The tensions flared and this led to bloody clashes at Galwan which led to the death of 20 Indian Troops and at least 4 from the Chinese side.

    Speaking on the force accretion by the PLA in Eastern Ladakh, Lt Gen Pande said there has been focus on conducting integrated exercises. “Annual Training exercise which the PLA carries out has increased in depth. Some of the reserve formations mobilized by the PLA have continued to remain in operational depth,” he said.

    Significant length, 1346 kilometers which includes Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, lies in Eastern Sector which is being looked after by the Indian Army’s eastern Command. There are several areas of differing perception where faceoffs take place.

    The Indian Army tries to resolve faceoffs at the local level, Gen Pande. “We have robust mechanisms like hotlines, Border personnel Meetings which have worked well so far,” told Gen Pande.

    Adding to the mechanism of communication and resolution along the LAC 4th hotline has been added recently. 4th Hotline has been operationalised recently at North Sikkim. The other three in the Eastern Command are at Kibithu, Bum La, Nathu La.

    India has been sprucing up its military and road infrastructure. “India has worked on mobility with all terrain vehicles, have added drones, counter drone mechanism, UAVs, Precision Guided Ammunitions, better radio sets, surveillance radars and night vision capabilities,” he said.

    The Mountain Strike Corps has been fully operationalized. Its raising commenced in 2014 with its combat, combat support and logistics set up raised. “Operational Philosophy has stabilized and the troops have been doing validation training exercises with other formations,” he said.

    The raising of the Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) for swift deployment of troops with effective fire power is in process. “To enhance the efficiency of the Mountain Strike Corps we are looking at IBG from better options of deployment,” he said.

  • LAC troops to get refresher in Tibetan

    Express News Service

    TENGA (ARUNACHAL): Amid a military standoff with China, India has formalized a course on Tibetan language and culture to “amalgamate its troops well with the people of Tibet.”

    “We have started a course on Tibetan language and culture through an MoU signed between the Indian Army and Central Institute of Himalayan Culture Studies (CIHCS) and Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Sikkim,” said a senior Indian Army officer. “A pilot course was completed in March in which 15 Army officers along with JCOs participated. The second course with 20 volunteers will be held in November.” 

    CIHCS deputy director Kemo Padu said history, culture, philosophy, politics, demography and geopolitics will be the part of the six-week course vetted by the Army Training Command. The plan is to train one officer from every battalion posted in the forward areas and gradually develop proficiency among young and mid-level officers. 

    Explaining the aim of the course, another Army officer said it is aimed at making Indian soldiers understand the nuances of the culture and arm them with the language so that they can mix with the Tibetan population living on the Indian side of the LAC. This will wean the people away from the Chinese propaganda, he said. There are people of the same tribes living on both sides of the LAC

  • Five soldiers from Uttarakhand martyred in three days

    Express News Service

    DEHRADUN: The family of deceased Indian Army Subedar Ajay Rautela never thought they were seeing him for the last time when the armyman left home this August to perform his duties.  “My father was an embodiment of honesty, integrity and hard work. He always told us how these qualities were of utmost importance in everyone’s life. Cruel fate has snatched him from us. All we want from the government and the army is to eliminate hatred and terrorism so that no more lives are lost,” said 22-year-old Arun Rautela, the soldier’s elder son. 

    The deceased subedar’s father, Awwal Singh Rautela, who passed away five years ago, had also served in the army. Subedar Rautela is survived by three sons — Arun , Sumit and Amit. Arun has completed his engineering while his two younger brothers are still in school. Deepak Rautela, the subedar’s brother and a school teacher, said: “Bhaiya inspired us all to do good things, believe in hard work and uphold the highest standards of living.”

    Five soldiers from Uttarakhand have been killed between October 14 and 16 during clashes with militants in Kashmir. Family of another martyr Naik Harendra Singh is shattered. Residents of Peepalsari village in Pauri district recalled his jolly nature and strong will. Naik Singh’s father Chhavan Singh Rawat, a retired soldier, and mother Sarojini Devi are inconsolable. Rawat said he could not gather courage to tell his wife the news of their son’s demise for hours. Sain Singh, a resident of Peepalsari, said: “Naik Sahab was a real life hero. He was full of life, always donning a pleasant smile on his face.”