*Watch live video of MHA team’s Pampore visit on Excelsior Youtube channel
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 29: Even as a high level team of the Union Home Ministry was camping in Kashmir discussing and reviewing various aspects of security situation in the wake of spurt in attacks on para-military forces and police by the militants, CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad and BSF Director General KK Sharma also reached Srinagar this afternoon to formulate comprehensive strategy on counter-infiltration, internal security etc to prevent Pampore like attacks.
Official sources told the Excelsior that on their second day of visit to Kashmir, the Home Ministry team comprising Susheel Kumar, Secretary (Border Management), Mahesh Kumar Singla, Special Secretary (Internal Security) and Gyanesh Kumar, Joint Secretary (Kashmir), called the chiefs of CRPF and BSF to Srinagar from New Delhi and held separate meetings with them in Srinagar, the summer capital of the State. Kashmir based heads of two major para-military forces, were also present in the meetings to brief the MHA team about their perception of security situation and steps required to curb fresh infiltration from the Line of Control (LoC), prevent Pampore like attacks, in which eight CRPF jawans were killed and 20 others were injured and ensure fool-proof security for Amarnath yatra, starting July 2.
The MHA team visited Pampore along with the DG CRPF and DG BSF, DG Police K Rajendra Kumar and other top officials of para-military forces and police, where militants had last week ambushed a CRPF convoy killing eight jawans and injuring 20 others and had detailed inspection of the spot.
They were briefed about details of the ambush and counter attack by the CRPF in which two militants were killed while two others had managed to escape. The focus was also to see whether the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) had been followed by the CRPF convoy or not. While CRPF DG K Durga Prasad maintained that the SOP was followed, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier expressed doubts over following of the SOP by the CRPF personnel.
The Home Ministry team was at Pampore in Pulwama district of South Kashmir for more than an hour going through all aspects of the attack including lapses, if any, on part of the CRPF personnel that led to eight killings. Top CRPF and police officers briefed the MHA team on the attack after which they returned to Srinagar.
Sources said the Home Ministry team preferred to have separate inter-action with BSF, CRPF, Army and police officers as they wanted to get the reports of all major security agencies on infiltration, Pampore attack, internal security and arrangements of Shri Amarnath Ji yatra.
The MHA team was briefed by top officers of security agencies that 30 to 32 militants have infiltrated from the LoC in Kashmir this year, recording marginal increase over the last year and some of them have been killed in the encounters. The top officers briefed the Home Ministry team that 77 militants have been killed in Kashmir during first half of this year and the number was more than double as compared to last year.
Asserting that situation has suddenly become volatile due to attacks by the militants on CRPF, BSF and police personnel, sources said it was `well under control’ and fool-proof security measures were in place in the hinterland as well as for Amarnath ji pilgrims with coordination of all security and Intelligence agencies.
The MHA team assessed the measures taken by the BSF, CRPF and police to prevent recurrence of Pampore like attacks. They also gave their suggestions on enhancing the security arrangements.
Sources said the SOP on movement of para-military personnel was discussed in detail and the MHA team wanted suggestions from top brass of BSF, CRPF, Army and police on amendments required in the SOP regarding movement of para-military forces and police to avert such attacks in future.
The MHA team will inter-act with more senior officers tomorrow before returning to New Delhi in the afternoon and submitting report to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who had deputed them to the Valley after Pampore attack.
Sources said the para-military forces operating in Jammu and Kashmir and involved in anti-terrorism operations and other duties like patrolling on National Highways, security of Shri Amarnath ji yatris and protection of VIPs, was ready to re-visit the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which guides the activities of para-military personnel in the State to ensure their own protection and kill the militants in random and search operations.
The CRPF, which along with Jammu and Kashmir Police, would be largest forces to provide protection to Amarnath ji pilgrims, has also undertaken fresh review of entire security gamut of the yatris at a high level meeting with the Home Ministry officials, sources said.
The Union Home Ministry has already offered more para-military forces, if asked for, by the Jammu and Kashmir Government to counter spurt in terror attack by the militants and also decided to send more bullet-proof vehicles for the para-military to ensure that they carry out movement in vulnerable areas in these vehicles to avoid casualties in Pampore like attacks.
National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Intelligence Bureau (IB) chief Dineshwar Sharma had yesterday briefed Rajnath Singh on security situation in Jammu and Kashmir particularly the Valley in the wake of Pampore attack.
“A detailed strategy is being devised to counter the militant attacks and launch offensive against the militants in coordination with security forces and Jammu and Kashmir Police to neutralize them before they could carry out more such attacks,’’ sources said.
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