CRPF’s CoBRA commandos deployed in J&K for the first time

These battle-hardened commandos are now going into Jammu’s dense woods, where militant activities have been increasingly on the rise over the last year.

STC NEWS MONITORING DESK
SRINAGAR, APRIL 19 (STC): For the first time, elite Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) commandos of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) are being deployed into Jammu and Kashmir. Known for its expertise in jungle warfare and surgical counter-insurgency efforts in India’s Red Corridor, these battle-hardened commandos are now going into Jammu’s dense woods, where militant activities have been increasingly on the rise over the last year.
The deployment was officially announced by CRPF DG Gyanendra Pratap Singh on Thursday during the 86th Raising Day celebrations. Union Home Minister Amit Shah also announced that a new CoBRA unit will be raised exclusively for Jammu and Kashmir operations.
The deployment of the CRPF’s CoBRA force in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time ever since its induction in 2008, is considered as a change of internal security strategy.
Remarkably, CoBRA was set up exactly to counter Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) in India’s Red Corridor — a belt of Naxal-affected states covering Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra.
Now, the growing militancy in Jammu forests has forced the authorities to involve the use of CoBRA’s jungle warfare capabilities to track down the terrorists.
It’s worth mentioning that a few CoBRA companies had been deployed in Kashmir in 2023 but for training only. There was an internal resistance to deploying them operationally due to fears that their skills were geared towards Maoist jungles rather than Kashmir’s landscape.
Media reports say that despite the initial resistance, the similarity in Jammu’s dense jungles and Maoist-affected jungles has led to a reappraisal. Jungle warfare techniques are now recognised as useful to counter terrorists active in such terrain.
Remarkably, the reports in cross section of media says that CoBRA is subsequently integrated with other specialist groups on patrol in Jammu and Kashmir, each of which has their own specialized skill set, fine-tuned to the region’s varied terrain as well as to its varied areas of threat.
The MARCOS, or the Indian Navy Marine Commandos, are amphibious warfare specialists. They are utilized mainly for riverine and lake operations in Kashmir, especially where silent water-borne operations are needed, such as in Wular Lake and the Jhelum River.
The National Security Guard (NSG), or the Black Cats, are India’s best counter-terror and hostage rescue unit. Despite not maintaining a permanent deployment in Kashmir, they are sent to conduct high-risk urban terror operations where precision is key.
The Indian Army Para Special Forces (Para SF) are trained to function at high altitudes, conduct deep penetration, and operate along the Line of Control (LoC). Their skills are particularly important in fighting in mountains and making surgical strikes over tough terrain.
Along with CoBRA, these elite forces now constitute a multi-dimensional response force to address terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
(Inputs from agencies)