Permanent pickets to come up in hilly areas
*Police Stns, Posts to be further strengthened
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 29: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) is understood to have given nod for replacement of .303 guns given to some of the Village Defence Group (VDG) members with semi-automatic weapons and recruitment of more VDGs especially the youth in the areas vulnerable to movement and presence of the terrorists.
Officials told the Excelsior that weapons of some of the VDG members have already been replaced while gradually all the VDGs will get semi-automatic weapons so that they can take on the terrorists effectively in their areas.
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The decision comes amid reports that some of the VDG members were still equipped with obsolete .303 weapons and they can’t confront the terrorists who are in possession of American M4 carbines and assault rifles.
“To begin with, the VDGs deployed in vulnerable hilly areas where presence of the foreign terrorists is suspected will be equipped with semi-automatic weapons while gradually all VDGs (erstwhile Village Defence Committee members) will be given the upgraded guns,” the officials said, adding the district police chiefs are being asked for adequate training to the VDGs in handling the new weapons.
Simultaneously, the officials said, more VDGs will also come up in hilly areas and routes being taken by the terrorists to reach hills after infiltration besides other vulnerable places. However, the youth will be given preference for recruitment in the VDGs as they will be better prepared to handle the terror threat, the officials said.
Meanwhile, after deployment in the hilly areas; Army, paramilitary forces and local police have started installation of permanent pickets in the mountains and other vulnerable areas while police stations in the sensitive zones are being strengthened with deployment of additional nafri especially the cops trained as para commandos to counter terror attacks and eliminate terrorists hiding in jungles.
The officials said that Army, CRPF and JKP have started establishing permanent pickets in the mountainous areas in Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch districts which will be manned 24×7 to keep strict vigil on the terrorists and eliminate them by taking out regular patrols in the forest areas.
“The strategy will deliver as it will not only keep the hiding militants under check but also stop more terrorists from entering into jungles to take shelter in natural hideouts. Further, movement of the Over Ground Workers (OGWs) who might be supplying food and other items to the terrorists will be contained,” they said.
As per the officials, at some places the pickets have been established while at other places the work on setting up of the pickets is going on. In next few days, pickets at most of the vulnerable areas will be in place. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have already deployed/readjusted additional troops for the purpose, they said.
At all these pickets, local police will also be in the forefront as they are well-versed with the routes leading to the forests.
“Gradually, Army, paramilitary forces and police planned to cover most of the vulnerable forest areas by establishing permanent pickets,” the officials said, adding there have been reports that the terrorists have been hiding deep inside forests in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Udhampur, Kathua and Reasi districts where they might have taken shelter inside some natural caves.
Permanent pickets and nakas are also being established on some of the routes which have been used by the terrorists after infiltration from the International Border in Kathua and Punjab to reach the jungles of Kathua and Udhampur on their way to Doda and South Kashmir.
“The efforts now will be to block infiltration of the terrorists at the border itself. However, if the attempt succeeds, the pickets have either been set up or are being established to intercept the infiltrators,” the officials said.
Security forces are also in the process of setting up camps in vulnerable areas other than the forests to keep vigil on any kind of movement of the terrorists.
Meanwhile, as per the officials the Jammu and Kashmir Police has also started strengthening its Police Stations and Police Posts in the hilly belts across the Jammu region. Almost all Police Stations and Posts are short of strength as the areas were earlier completely free of militancy. However, now the police personnel including fresh trained recruits and those who had been in forefront in tackling militancy in sensitive zones are being deployed in police stations and posts where the threat of terrorism is more.
“Police Stations and Posts are also being given full nafri and sophisticated weapons to take on the terrorists,” the sources said, adding this will help in tackling the terror menace to a great extent and will also boost morale of the local people.
They said the locals are also being encouraged to keep hawk’s eye on suspicious movement and immediately sound security forces in case they observe suspicious persons.
At the same time, they said police is going to act very tough against the Over Ground Workers (OGWs) who have been helping in sustaining the terrorists in the jungles.
Admitting that the terrorists can’t survive without local help especially in getting food and other items of daily use, the sources said all out efforts are being made to crack upper ground network of the terrorists including the guides who are taking them from one place to another and helping them in identification of areas to target security personnel.
“Some significant successes have already been made on this front with the arrest of OGWs,” they said.
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