Agencies | New Delhi:
Security agencies have drawn up a comprehensive plan to replace Army troops with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for counter-terrorist operations at select locations in the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Tuesday.
Under the proposed arrangement, around 21 locations in Udhampur and Kathua districts have been identified for the deployment of CRPF personnel, supported by specialised units of its jungle warfare wing, the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA).
Officials in the security establishment said the camps currently have only a skeletal presence following earlier troop movements. With the CRPF expected to take over these operating bases, the move is aimed at improving coordination between the Army and paramilitary forces and strengthening the counter-insurgency grid across the challenging terrain.
The plan dates back to 2020, when the government decided to deploy the CRPF to fill the operational vacuum created by the movement of Army troops towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Under the latest proposal, approximately 21 CRPF companies, comprising around 2,100 personnel, are expected to man the identified camps across Udhampur and Kathua, officials said.
The CRPF companies, supported by CoBRA teams, will undertake targeted counter-terrorist operations in forested areas and rugged terrain that have witnessed terrorist movement and the establishment of suspected hideouts in recent years.
The specialised CoBRA units are expected to provide additional capabilities for operations in difficult forest and mountainous terrain, where mobility and jungle warfare skills are particularly important.
The security establishment is considering a gradual transfer of the counter-insurgency grid in the Jammu sector to the CRPF.
The move would allow Army infantry units to be withdrawn from routine counter-terrorist duties and redeployed to strengthen border security along the Line of Control and the International Border.
Officials said the restructuring is intended to optimise the deployment of security forces by assigning counter-insurgency responsibilities to specialised paramilitary units while enabling the Army to concentrate more heavily on conventional and border-related security duties.
The proposed deployment also comes as select CRPF units are being de-inducted from the Left Wing Extremism (LWE) theatre in central India following successful anti-Naxal operations.
These units are being repositioned for deployment in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
The planned shift represents a significant adjustment in the security architecture of the Jammu region, with the CRPF expected to assume a larger role in counter-terrorist operations while the Army strengthens its focus on border security and other strategic responsibilities.
