 "J&K attacks: J&K Police aims to counter terror surge with new special force")
In a first, the Jammu and Kashmir Police has deployed a new force of 960 trained policemen in the border areas of the Union Territory to exclusively combat terrorism and infiltration, reported The Indian Express on Thursday. This is reportedly the first-ever force in the Jammu and Kashmir Police that cannot be deployed for any other duty.
The move, added the report, comes amid a surge in infiltration attempts by heavily-armed foreign terrorists from Pakistan.
Where is this new force deployed?
While about 560 of these newly-trained police personnel have been deployed in the Jammu division's border areas, the remaining have been given the responsibility of the Kashmir Valley, said the report.
What sets the new force apart?
J&K Director General of Police (DGP) R R Swain reportedly said that the recruitment of the nearly 960 jawans, who had passed out from the Jammu and Kashmir Police Training School and had been deployed in border areas on Wednesday, was done on the basis of the area they came from.
"The selections will be made from the border areas and they will be deployed in the border areas," said Swain, according to the national daily.
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Stating that "there are strict restrictions on them", Swain explained that the new force will work "only on anti-infiltration and anti-terrorism fronts". He added that they will "not be deployed as personal security officers or in the office or for any other extra work".
DGP Swain also said the supervisory officers of these personnel have been "strictly instructed that they cannot be shifted to other jobs than their original anti-infiltration and anti-terrorism work".
DGP Swain added that the officers have been told that they will deploy these personnel "only on anti-infiltration and anti-terrorism work so that the general area security gets enhanced and it becomes extremely difficult for the adversary to infiltrate and spread terror".
Quoting Swain, the report said that the new force's personnel are "very young" and "from the border villages". Swain added that they know the area of operation well and understand the enemy's tactics. "They are our own boys and they are not from places outside Jammu and Kashmir – not even from other districts of J&K, but from the respective border tehsils only," he told the national daily.
Why has the new force been set up?
Citing sources, the report said that deploying exclusively trained personnel in their respective border tehsils was driven by the goal of strengthening human intelligence.
According to the report, since the personnel are locals, it is expected that they will have an easier time collecting information about any unusual movements in their respective areas.
Additionally, their contribution to intelligence gathering is also expected to help the regular police and security forces counter infiltrating terrorists near the border itself.
The need for such a force has become evident after recent events.
In June, terrorists were able to reach even far-off areas in the Doda and Reasi districts without drawing attention from security agencies.
Security forces and Jammu Kashmir Police also killed two terrorists in Kathua district's Saida village after they knocked at a door for water and the villagers subsequently raised the alarm.
Police and security forces also launched massive search operations and killed three terrorists in the Doda district, but only after the latter revealed their presence by attacking a joint Army and police check post.
In the Reasi district, security forces only learnt about a fresh infiltration by militants after they attacked a bus carrying pilgrims, killing nine people and injuring several others.