SRINAGAR
CRPF’s Cobra commandos are to be deployed in the forest areas of Jammu and Kashmir, especially in the hills of Poonch, Rajouri and Anantnag districts. The recent gunfight in the forests of Kokernag in Anantnag district of South Kashmir has shown the limitation of the latest machinery, drones and helicopters while dealing with such incidents in the thick forests.
It is in place to mention that in the Rajouri and Poonch districts, army and security forces suffered casualties in the Pir Panchal forests this summer. Five Army personnel were killed in a blast that was triggered by terrorists in a thickly vegetated area in Kandi forest of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district. The Union Home Ministry had given the green light for the deployment of Cobra commandos in Jammu and Kashmir; they were dispatched here in the month of April.
Recently, they completed their training in the forests of Jammu and Kashmir and the first batch of Cobra commandos of CRPF, after completing their training, have been deployed in the forests Kupwara district of North Kashmir near the border.
Cobra commandos of CRPF have successfully controlled counter insurgencies in Bihar, Jharkhand and North East. The recent operation in the forests of Kokernag resulted in killing of two army officers, a soldier and a DySP of Jammu and Kashmir police. The operation continued for one week and even after using helicopters, drones and latest equipment, it took several days to finish the operation. Facing challenges in the difficult terrain in forests of Pir Panjal range spreading from Rajouri, Poonch to South Kashmir, including Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts, Cobra commandos would be deployed in all these hilly areas for future operations.
Cobra commandos are highly trained warriors and a specialized force to move around in the thick forests and difficult terrains. They are highly trained commandos having training for helicopter-borne incursion in the forests and they can cover a lot of distance on foot in the forests and return to their base camps.
These Cobra commandos are likely to be deployed near the border in all the hilly areas and they would be also deployed in the Pir Panchal forests due to the rising cases of attacks in the recent past.