To prevent Pulwama-like suicide attack in which 40 CRPFtroopers were killed and casualties in anti-militancy operations in Jammu &Kashmir, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has “revised” itscombat strategy to “wait, watch and take time” and issued a newStandard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
Over 55,000 CRPF personnel deployed in J&K have beenadvised “not to show hurry” during operations in residential areas.
The new advisory was issued after three CRPF troopers,including an Inspector, were killed in a 48-hour gunfight on Sunday that beganon March 1 at Babagund village in the Handwara area of the Kupwara district.
The CRPF lost its men when they were carrying out searchesat the site after the end of gun-battle. A militant, presumed to be dead, rosefrom the debris of a blasted house and fired at them.
Two militants, two policemen and a civilian were also killedin the operation.
“There is clear instruction for every CRPF trooper oncombat duty in J&K to ‘wait, watch and take time’ during anti-terroroperations. This is not new. It is a part of our SOP, which has been revisedafter we lost three personnel,” a CRPF official told IANS.
The official said the security personnel would not have beenkilled, had they waited before carrying out the search operation after thegun-battle. “We change our strategies and revise our SOPs from time totime,” he said.
After the Pulwama attack, CRPF Director General R.R.Bhatnagar had in a media briefing last month, stated the CRPF was formulatingsome strategies but refused to divulge specifics.
The CRPF has already tweaked things like “trafficcontrol” and “convoy movement timings” to enhance security forits 3.5-lakh strong force.
It has also revised the strategy to deal with explosive attacks, said another official privy to the developments.
RAJNISH SINGH