Jammu The Union ministry of home affairs on Wednesday ordered deployment of 18 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to intensify anti-terror operations in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir.
The decision comes in the wake of increased terrorist attacks on civilians in the Union territory. It also comes in view of twin terror attacks at Dhangri village in Rajouri in which six people of the minority community, including two minors, were killed and 15 others were injured.
“Nine companies have already reached Rajouri and the remaining nine will reach tonight (Wednesday night). They will be deployed in anti-terror operations in Rajouri and Poonch districts,” said a senior CRPF officer, requesting anonymity.
“They will intensify counter-insurgency operations in tandem with police, army and sister agencies. Top officers of the army, police, CRPF and other agencies will chalk out a strategy for intensifying counter insurgency operations,” the officer added.
One CRPF company usually has a strength of 120 personnel.
Officers familiar with the development told HT that the home ministry took the decision following a spike in selective killings of civilians from the minority community in J&K.
{{/usCountry}}Officers familiar with the development told HT that the home ministry took the decision following a spike in selective killings of civilians from the minority community in J&K.
{{/usCountry}}“Eight companies have been sent to Rajouri from various parts of Jammu and Kashmir while 10 companies are being rushed from Delhi,” one of the officers said, also declining to be named.
Combing operations will be launched in areas south of Pir Panjal after dividing them into zones, officers said.
On Sunday, four civilians were killed when two terrorists entered their houses in Dhangri village and fired at them indiscriminately. Barely 14 hours later, two minors — a 4-year-old boy and 16-year-old girl — died when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted at the entrance of the house one of the shooting victims went off on Monday, police said.
On Wednesday, a total shutdown was observed in Poonch district in protest against the terror attacks in Rajouri.
The bandh call by Hindu organisations Sanatan Dharam Sabha, Vishwa Hindus Parishad, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Jagran Manch was fully endorsed by the Muslim community.
“Poonch district observed total shutdown to protest Rajouri killings. Commercial transport remained off the roads and markets wore a deserted look,” said a local resident in Poonch, 235 km from Jammu. “Muslim community extended full support to the bandh call.”
Lawyers across the Union territory also observed a day-long protest, stalling work in all courts, tribunals, commissions, revenue courts against the killings in Dhangri.
Meanwhile, security forces said the two unidentified terrorists, suspected to be members of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), carried out the selective killings in Dhangri. It is suspected that the two terrorists were the same who opened fire outside an army’s camp in Rajouri on December 16 in which two civilians were killed.
“The two men believed to be part of JeM might have freshly infiltrated into Rajouri and they are still at large,” said a senior army officer. “There was a search operation in Muradpur (in Rajouri) recently, but they managed to escape.”
As per intelligence inputs, JeM and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were planning to target civilians in Rajouri and Poonch districts, the officer added.