A senior Punjab police officer on Friday said he was denied a visa by Canadian authorities as he had served in areas where counter-insurgency operations were carried out in the state during the militancy period.Patiala's Senior Superintendent of Police Ranbir Singh Khatra said that it was the prerogative of the Canadian government to deny or grant him a visa but the content used in the denial letter was not acceptable.
Incidents of insurgency in the northeastern states reduced by 80 per cent in the last eight years while casualties of security forces went down by 75 per cent and civilian deaths by 99 per cent, an official report said.
Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said on Wednesday that the Maoists had been trying to set up base in Assam for the last three years to exploit the fluid situation in the insurgency-hit state, but in vain, thanks to alertness shown by the Assam police, a force with much experience in counter-insurgency operations.
The security forces in Assam have decided to beef up security throughout the state after receiving intelligence inputs about militants' design to carry out attacks during Christmas and harvest festival Bihu.
A terrorist was killed on Wednesday in an encounter with security forces in Anantnag district while another ultra was trapped in a cordon in Sopore area of north Kashmir, police said.
As the grenades burst, the extract and explosive material get dispersed in the atmosphere giving acute irritation to the throat and skin. The grenade material also chokes the respiratory tract causing difficulty in breathing. It will also be possible to create a smoke screen with the grenade burst, the sources said.
A total of 234 army personnel have died fighting terrorists in the last four years, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.
In an army that favours officers who have spent the bulk of their service years doing counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, General Anil Chauhan is that rarity: A China specialist who has logged plenty of service years along the Line of Actual Control and the McMahon Line with China.
The slain person, who was shot dead at his residence, was a former member of the banned outfit and was working closely with security forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations.
Counter insurgency operations alone will not end Naxalism as the government needs to address its "root cause", which is the issue of forests and land rights, former BSF Director General E N Rammohan, who probed the Dantewada killings last month, said Friday.
The proscribed United Liberation Front of Assam, which is now reeling under sustained and intensified counter-insurgency operation by the Army -- especially in Eastern Assam areas and the two hill districts of the state -- has alleged that the government of India was interested in crushing the 'ULFA revolution' by using force and not at all interested in a political solution to "Assam-India" conflict.
With the expansion of its role in counter-insurgency opertions, the central paramilitary force has already decided to set up a dedicated intelligence apparatus to give more teeth to its operations.
Gen Singh, who has vast experience in counter-insurgency operations and till lately was the GOC-in-C of Kolkata-based Eastern Command, was handed over charge by Gen Kapoor at a ceremony in the South Block in New Delhi.
Singh was in the news recently when he recommended action against four General-ranked officers indicted by a probe in the Sukna land scam in Darjeeling district of West Bengal.
The remark by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil assumes significance as the BSF is being phased out of counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir to be replaced by the Central Reserve Police Force.
A security source informed that the bomb was planted in a moped in the area that is close to a barrack of Manipur State Police Commandos and a camp of Assam Rifles, both of which are engaged in counter-insurgency operation in the state.
Borsaikia, commander of a company of the 28th battalion of the outfit, was one of the most-wanted ULFA leaders.
A bandh called by All Bodoland Minority Students' Union and eight other non-Bodo organisations in protests against killing of at least eight innocent non-Bodo persons by Bodo militant group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Sangbijit) since Friday has night paralysed life in the violence-affected Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council areas in Assam on Monday.
A bandh called by the All Bodoland Minority Students' Union and eight other non-Bodo organisations since Friday night has paralysed life in the violence-affected Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Council areas in Assam on Monday.
The Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) has undergone a significant transformation, evolving from hit-and-run attacks to carrying out sophisticated operations with tactical precision. The group's tactics and targets have become increasingly audacious, targeting security forces, Chinese nationals, and innocent civilians. Experts attribute the BLA's evolution to various factors, including the leadership of Bashir Zeb, the group's growing intelligence network, and its exploitation of the grievances of the Baloch people. The BLA's actions are a cause for concern, as the group's sophisticated attacks pose a major challenge to security forces.
The gunfight lasted for around one-and-a-half hour, following which the ultras disappeared into the dense forest.
The banned United Liberation Front of Asom has criticised the GOC 4 Corps of the Indian Army B S Jaswal, the head of the counter-insurgency operations in Assam, for issuing a 'threatening' statement aimed at families of ULFA militants.
The army has about 200 UAVs, mostly the Searcher 1, Searcher 2 and Heron supplied by Israeli Aerospace Industries, but security experts feel mini-UAVs will give troops an edge in operations against militants.
The Central Reserve Police Force will replace the Border Security Force in the hinterland of the Kashmir Valley for counter-insurgency operations by March.
The sanction by the Government of India is mandatory for intitiating legal suit against any personnel of the security forces for any action taken by them while discharging their duties under section 197(2) Cr.P.C and Section 6 of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA), the release said.
Defence Minister A K Antony said the highest incidence of suicides, 328 cases, had been reported from the Army, mostly from personnel engaged in counter insurgency operations.
The memorial will come up at the Remount and Veterinary Corps Centre and College in Meerut where the army breeds, rears, and trains dogs, mules and horses.
A 140-strong Indian contingent is participating with troops from the 25th Infantry Division of the US Pacific Command in Yudh Abhyas 06-02, the second training exercise of its type this year.
Railway authorities have increased the presence of security personnel in the Guwahati Railway Station.
The appointments committee of the cabinet headed by the prime minister had on October 1 issued the order for the appointment of Singh who has service till December 2024.
Man arrested in connection with Delhi blasts a petty thief
An uptick has been noticed in the number of foreign terrorists operating in Jammu and Kashmir post the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan but the overall strength of militants in the valley is low and can be capped below 200, outgoing CRPF DG Kuldiep Singh said on Thursday.
'It has been doing yeoman service for the people of the North East.'
Campaigning ended on Wednesday evening for 102 Lok Sabha seats across 21 states and Union territories which will go to polls in the first phase on April 19 with top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance and the opposition Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) making a last-gasp effort to woo voters.
Sohan D Shira carried a reward of Rs 10 lakh on his head.
Army can detect terrorists who might be hiding in wall cavities or false ceilings.
However, there has been an appreciable decline in the casualties of civilians and security forces in the terror attacks in the past nearly four years. Against 11 civilian killings from October 27, 2015 to August 4, 2019, there was a 63 per cent decrease with seven civilian killings reported post the abrogation of Article 370.
The central government on Monday appointed Army Vice Chief Lieutenant General Manoj Pande as the next chief of Indian Army.
