AK-203 assault rifles, with an effective range of 300 meters, are lightweight, robust and easy to use modern assault rifles with proven technology.
Present vice chief Lt Gen BS Raju would be succeeding Lt Gen AS Bhinder who is superannuating on February 28 at the South Western Army Command.
This was disclosed by Major General S S Jog, General Officer Commanding the Red Horn Division, during a seminar on counter terrorism organised by the Army for officers and allied personnel engaged in anti-insurgency operations in Guwahati on Wednesday.
As the government continues to weigh options of fighting Naxalism more effectively, the army has offered to send Colonel-rank officers to the Union home ministry on deputation for advise in anti-Maoist operations.
The Apex court had in its order slammed the Chhattisgarh government for using tribals as Special Police Officers in its Salwa Judum counter-insurgency operation against the Maoists. It also asked the central government to ensure that its finances are not used for funding SPOs.
The operation was conducted between June 23 and 25, the police said.
While the operation to track down the terrorists in the forest belt of Poonch-Rajouri was underway, the security forces received information about the suspected movement of terrorists in the vast forest area of Khabla along the Mughal Road in the early hours of Saturday, the officials said.
United States Defence Department authorities has announced a special court martial for a marine, who was involved in an alleged desecration incident in Afghanistan, wherein he was seen urinating on corpse of Taliban fighters.
Police sources said the slain terrorists were believed to be a group of foreigners, who might have infiltrated into the Valley recently.
The next year is likely to pose a bigger challenge to the counter-insurgency operation in Chhattisgarh where the Communist Party of India-Maoist is planning to observe its 10th year of foundation and is being feared to unite all Naxal groups in the country to carry out major 'events'.
Pakistan's civilian government complained to the United States that it was being kept in the dark about American funding to the military and that money provided for the war on terror had been used for other purposes, according to secret US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday demanded in the Rajya Sabha the setting up of a national memorial at India Gate for soldiers killed in wars and counter-insurgency operations and said those opposing it were showing "disrespect" to martyrs.
The inquiry will focus on the "intelligence" and the "circumstances" on which Saturday's operation was based on.
Amidst raging debate over Jammu and Kashmir government's intention to revoke Armed Forces Special Powers Act from parts of the state, Army on Thursday made its case clear saying any such move will handicap the capability of the force to conduct counter insurgency operations.
Troops of the Central Reserve Police Force, deployed extensively for anti-Naxal and counter-insurgency operations, are suffering from a "lot of stress" because of long periods of deployment, the chief of the paramilitary said in New Delhi on Monday.
A security source said it was part of ULFA's strategy to mount pressure on the Army, which has put ULFA strongholds in Tinsukia district and areas adjoining the Arunachal Pradesh border under strict surveillance.
Even as the Indian Army wants the imposition of tougher laws in support of the counter-insurgency operations against the banned United Liberation Front of Asom, the insurgent group has termed the move, 'a reflection of the failure of the Army' in demoralising and neutralising ULFA members despite its prolonged operations in Assam.
Colonel Kohli, commanding officer of an artillery regiment in Assam, had taken photographs of civilians splashed with tomato ketchup posing as corpses and gave them to his seniors to stake claim for gallantry award. The incident took place at Bada Nagadun near Silchar in Assam in 2003 and Kohli was dismissed from the Army in November 2004 after a court martial found him guilty.
Colonel (retired) H S Kohli, sacked from the Army for faking encounters during counter insurgency operations in North East in 2003, has filed a review petition before the Armed Forces Tribunal.
'We are dealing with a very difficult social situation. It needs a lot of maturity, patience and self control,' says Lt Gen V G Patankar (retd).
The 5.8-tonne twin-engine gunship chopper is armed with air-to-air missiles, 20 mm turret guns, rocket systems and other weapons.
In an exclusive interview, Maj-Gen Sudhir Vombatkere (retd), who was additional director general for discipline and vigilance at the Army headquarters with the human rights cell, tells Bula Devi that the AFSPA should be used only for brief and limited periods and only to facilitate specific missions.
In an exclusive interview, Maj-Gen Sudhir Vombatkere (retd), who was additional director general for discipline and vigilance at the Army headquarters with the human rights cell, tells Bula Devi that the AFSPA should be used only for brief and limited periods and only to facilitate specific missions.
In a major boost to the morale of security forces engaged sustained counter-insurgency operation Assam, 412 militants including 22 women of the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front (KLNLF) laid down arms before Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi in presence of senior police and Army officials at Diphu in Karbi Anglong hill district of Assam.
"We have plugged all routes, making it difficult for the ULFA to bring in weapons and cadres from their bases in neighbouring countries," said Lt Gen B S Jaswal. ULFA militants were facing a shortage of food and medicines in their jungle camps.
As a total of 97 police gallantry medals were announced by the government on the eve of the Republic day on Wednesday, more than half (about 52) have gone to those personnel who are either combating Left-wing extremists in various states or have taken on militants and insurgents in Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast
Alerted by intelligence reports over a possible spillover of terrorist activities into Himachal Pradesh, army has mounted a strict vigil along Chamba district and certain areas along the Jammu and Kashmir-HP border.
Gen Pande, who was serving as the vice chief, became the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to helm the force.
"It traces out the causes, which lead to insurgencies and concepts of how to tackle them," he said, adding that the doctrine was unclassified and would be put soon on army website.
Not only army personnel but Indian Army's canine 'soldiers' perform their duties in counter-insurgency operations.
A week after government auditors exposed Army supplying stale food to jawans, Union Defence Minister A K Antony on Saturday gave an assurance that efforts were in progress to improve quality of rations given to them.
The sources said that insurgents opened fire from a distance at Chaljang area and security personnel returned the fire. But there were no casualties on the side of Assam Rifles. Official sources said security forces had intensified counter-insurgency operations along Khengjoi hill range, Dingpi and several villages including Chaljang since November 25 to flush out MPA insurgents.
'The PLA will not voluntarily withdraw from Indian territory.'
A source in the chief minister's office informed that the judicial inquiry would continue simultaneously along with the investigation that was being carried out by the Additional Chief Secretary of the State Alok Party. Gogoi has made it clear that no official would be spared if found guilty of intentional killing of 'any innocent person' in the name of counter-insurgency operation in general.
The soldiers have come out with innovative ways to reduce overall length and weight of the existing weapons so as to lessen fatigue and enhance accuracy, besides enabling them to fire corner shots.
Newly appointed army chief Joginder Jaswant Singh will visit Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to take stock of the security situation and counter insurgency operations.
