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Majid Jahangir

Tribune News Service
Srinagar, August 4Four more suspected militants were killed in a fresh gunfight at Kilora in Shopian district in south Kashmir on Saturday morning taking the militant toll in the operation to five.On Friday evening, one top local Lashkar-e-Toiba militant was killed in the initial encounter between militants and security forces in the area.The anti-militancy operation was launched on Friday evening on the basis of information about the presence of militants in the area.“Four more militants have been killed at Shopian. A total of five militants have been killed so far,” Srinagar-based defence spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia said.He said weapons had also recovered.“The operation is continuing,” he added.The identity of the four militants is being established.On Friday evening, a top Lashkar militant, Umer Malik of Malikgund Shopian, who was active since August 2017 was killed.Meanwhile, two suspects were detained by security forces at Panthachowk on the outskirts of Srinagar on Saturday morning and two hand grenades were recovered.The two were being questioned, a security officer said.

New Delhi, July 22

In one of the biggest recruitment drives in Central security forces, the government has decided to recruit over 54,000 jawans in armed police forces like the CRPF, BSF and ITBP, among others, this year. Of the total 54,953 vacancies advertised by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC), the maximum are for the country’s largest paramilitary force, CRPF, at 21,566 posts.A total of 47,307 vacancies are for men and 7,646 are for women in the constable (general duty) cadre in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), Assam Rifles (posts to be called Rifleman), National Investigation Agency and the Secretariat Security Force.“The Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) and Central Police Organisations (CPOs) are set for further expansion by raising of new battalions and hence, these new vacancies have been advertised by the government after sanction from the Union home ministry,” a senior official said. Applicants in the age group of 18-23 years and who have completed class 10 successfully, with a few exceptions and reservations, can apply for these posts.The salary offered, as per the SSC advertisement, is in the matrix of Rs 21,700-69,100. The candidates will undertake a computer-based exam, physical efficiency test, physical standard test and a final medical test before being inducted into these forces/organisations that are deployed as part of securing the internal security grid of the country under the command of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).The last date to apply for these vacancies is August 20. The NIA is the federal terror probe agency and the SSF provides security staff to Central government establishments. — PTI

NEW DELHI: A court in Pakistan on Wednesday ordered the all- ..

Equipped with modern warfare training, SOG to replace obsolete SWAT

Aman Sood

Tribune News Service

Bahadurgarh (Patiala), July 19

When it comes to stealth — during and after an anti-terror operation — Punjab will rely on its Special Operations Group (SOG) commandos, being specially trained to handle terrorist-related operations, flushing out militants from the hinterland and prepared for “one-way ticket” missions.Armed with Swiss and Israeli assault rifles, under-barrel grenade launchers and bulletproof jackets, Special Operations Group (SOG) commandos on Thursday completed half of their training before being inducted in a special squadron to tackle terror-related incidents.Approved by the Punjab Cabinet in 2017, the SOG will primarily be dealing with fidayeen or terror attacks and will also prevent any hostage-like situation.The SOG commandos are getting trained from the best in the lot. “We have trainers from the Para (Special Forces), equipped and trained in handling deadly lethal weapons. Further trainers from Assam Rifles, which is the oldest of paramilitary forces of India, and former National Security Guards (NSG) are training these commandos,” said Additional DGP (Commandos), Punjab, Rakesh Chandra.At present, 186 commandos are being trained by 17 specialised instructors at the Bahadurgarh Commando Complex on the outskirts of Patiala.“We started from 600 men, but due to the kind of mental and physical stamina required for the job, we are left with 186 men as for now,” said Chandra.Earlier, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh visited the Special Operations Group trainees and saw them showcasing their physical fitness, firing skills, field tactics, rappelling and slithering techniques, jummaring, storming and building intervention.He said since the state shared an international border of 553 km with Pakistan, besides 70-km boundary with Jammu and Kashmir, such a force was needed to tackle drug smugglers, peddlers and militants.“Though the frequency of militant-related incidents has come down considerably post conventional militancy period, there now exists a new and graver threat in the form of unconventional militancy,” he added.

Special Operations Group

• Punjab will soon have a 243-member Special Operations Group (SOG) squadron led by ADGP
• Drawn from various state forces, the SOG commandos will be given 3-month training
• Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) force will be phased out
• SOG has 10 times more strength than SWAT
• Commandos will be able to handle multiple grenade launchers, rocket launchers, machine guns and sniper rifles
• They will have special training in physical fitness, firing skills, field tactics, rappelling and slithering techniques, jummaring, storming and building intervention

What’s in store

• Armoured bulletproof vehicles
• Troop carriers
• Drones for surveillance
• Night vision binoculars
• Bulletproof jackets
• Laser-guided weaponry
• 

File photo of Army Chief General Bipin Rawat. PTI

New Delhi, June 29

Days after imposition of Governor’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat on Friday said Army was operating with “people-friendly” rules of engagement in the Valley.

“Our basic purpose is to go after terrorists who create violence and disturbance in the Valley. Our aim is not to cause inconvenience to civilian population who are not indulging in arson or violence,” he said on the sidelines of an event here.

Jammu and Kashmir was placed under Governor’s rule on June 20, the fourth time in the last one decade, after the BJP withdrew support to its alliance partner PDP forcing Mehbooba Mufti to resign as the chief minister of the state.

“There is nothing like stepping up… Army continues to operate with the formulated rules of engagement,” Rawat said when asked whether security has been stepped up in the Valley after the fall of the government.

The Army chief said in addition to the “stringent” rules of engagement, local formation commanders continuously give guidelines to soldiers as to how to operate.

“Our rules of engagement are very people-friendly and we conduct operations in a very people-friendly manner. And, motivated reports that Indian Army is carrying out brutal operations in Kashmir is not true,” he said.

Gen Rawat had earlier dismissed the recent UN report on alleged human rights violations in Kashmir as “motivated” and asserted that Indian Army’s record in this regard was “absolutely above board”.

The Army chief today interacted with a group of school students, including five girls, from Baramullah and other neighbouring regions of the Valley who visited him here at South Block as part of a national integration tour.

“The message we want these children to go back with, is that if terrorist activities and stone-pelting stops in Kashmir, it too can prosper like Delhi or other big cities, and perhaps even better,” he said. PTI

Ajay Banerjee

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 15

As the militaries of India and China have re-started an interaction and the Ministry of Defence on either side scales up the engagement, history of the past decade reminds of the frequent ups and downs in the relationship. Notwithstanding the recent meetings, the military on either side has not dropped guard. Incidents along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) — the de-facto boundary — have been reduced. However, till there is a resolution on demarcating the LAC on ground, a sense of alertness shall remain, sources indicated to The Tribune. There is no slackness in India’s infrastructure building in the Himalayas.Lt Gen SL Narsimhan (retd), a former commander of the 3 Corps based in the North-East, says, “India-China military relations were never ‘frozen’ as such. Yes, there were issues on the border and they have been managed.” The General is now part of the National Security Advisory Board.  During the 73-day (June–August 2017) Doklam stand-off, there was no major flare up at the LAC barring the clash between troops of either side at Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh. In the past decade, India-China military relations are dotted with bonhomie turning into a freeze. In December 2007, the two countries conducted their first-ever joint military exercise “hand-in-hand”. In August 2010, India snapped military ties after China denied visa to Northern Army Commander Lt Gen BS Jaswal. Almost 18 months later in January 2012, an attempt to restore ties failed. India cancelled delegation visit after China refused visa to Arunachal-origin IAF officer.Chinese Defence Minister General Liang Guanglie visited India in September 2012 as both sides announced resumption of exercises. A few months later in April 2013, a military stand-off ensued at the Depsang plains, eastern Ladakh—one of the hotly contested areas. In July that year, Defence Minister AK Antony visited China.In September 2014, there was another  change, a  military stand -off ensued at Chumar in South-eastern Ladakh even as Modi- Xi Jinping meet in India.A few months later, in May and August 2015, two additional formal border meeting point opened at Kibithoo,  Eastern Arunachal Pradesh and  Daulat Baig Oldie,  Ladakh, respectively .In   December 2015, Lt Gen DS Hooda, the then northern Army commander led  a military delegation to China. In October 2016 was another watershed event. India and China did a first-ever joint tactical exercise in Jammu and Kashmir, at Chushul, Eastern Ladakh.In February 2017, a 15-member Chinese military delegation visited India. Three months later in May 2017, China put off the military exercise. In April this year, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman met her Chinese counterpart twice and in the same month, Modi-Xi summit was conducted at Wuhan. In the past four weeks, there has been a joint yoga session at Daulat baig Oldie, Ladakh, and a visit by China’s senior military leadership to India.