Small convoys, new SOPs: How Pulwama changed CRPF tactic

Fresh training, use of bulletproof bunkers, drones and CCTVs are among a few changes adopted to avoid a repeat of the attack

Two years since Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) suicide bomber Adil Ahmad Dar rammed an explosive-laden car into a bus transporting Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers on the national highway in Pulwama, killing 40 men, a lot has changed in terms of convoy movement and the way troops secure their camps in the Kashmir valley.

CRPF personnel proceed to lay a wreath at a memorial for the Central Reserve Police Force troopers killed in the 2019 Pulwama attack, at the battalion headquarters in Lethpora, Pulwama, on Sunday. (HT Photo)

Immediately after the deadly attack, which pushed India and Pakistan to the brink of war, the CRPF decided to overhaul its standard operating procedure (SOP) for convoys moving on the highways.

Instead of moving in large convoys, like the one on February 14, 2019 with 78 vehicles, it was decided that personnel will move in smaller contingents with a maximum of 40 vehicles. A Superintendent of Police rank officer started commandeering the convoys and troops were ordered to strictly adhere to the “passenger manifest discipline” for each vehicle in the convoy.

The IG said that the road opening parties (ROP) which would provide security to the highway have been given new training coupled with new SOPs.

“It was done to prevent and stop the incidents (like Pulwama), the way a civilian vehicle filled with explosives had struck our convoy causing heavy damages. That is why the traffic on road during convoy movement is controlled, convoy limit has also been contained,” he said.

“CCTVs have been installed at many points on the highway, drones are also being used. The movement of our vehicles generally takes places in bulletproof bunkers. Enough precautions as well as equipment have been installed to avoid such a type of incident,” he said.

Since the attack, the majority of vehicles used for convoy movements have been upgraded to withstand bullets and low-intensity improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The ROPs (road opening parties), which are placed before the convoy moves on the highway, have been strengthened and trained for early warning mechanisms in identifying suspects who could attack the moving vehicles. Subsequently, there is better coordination between central intelligence agencies, Jammu and Kashmir police and the army on possible terror threats, people familiar with the developments said.

A major decision taken after the Pulwama attack was to restrict the movement of civilian vehicles on the highway when the convoys of security forces are on the move. The government has also allowed all personnel to take a flight to Srinagar from either Jammu or Delhi; air courier service for the central paramilitary forces has been increased by adding flights from Delhi to Srinagar via Jammu and back.