NSG commandos all set to hunt down terrorists in JK

New Delhi, May 3: Intensified efforts of security forces including Indian Army, CRPF and Jammu and Kashmir police have restricted terror activities which led to curb in the number of terrorists. However, in a bid to eliminate the roots of terrorists and terrorism, the central government will soon deploy Black Cat commandos of the elite counter-terror force NSG in Jammu and Kashmir. 

Notably, the Home Affairs Ministry is examining a proposal to deploy a contingent of Black Cat commandos of the elite counter-terror force NSG in Jammu and Kashmir to deal with encounters and hostage-like situations. NSG Commandos will mainly join the Indian Army, the CRPF and the state police to neutralize terrorists and terrorism from the valley.

Recently, Jammu and Kashmir’s DGP SP Vaid had also said that he had been working on the proposal of bringing NSG commandos in the valley. Hope I will be successful,” he had said. On the other side, Home Minister Rajnath Singh during NSG event in Telangana had said the government is planning to enlarge force’s role in the security of the country.

However, this is not for the first time that the NSG commandos would be deployed in Jammu and Kashmir. The commandos of the elite force have been deployed in the Valley in the past too. Interestingly, the move to deploy NSG commandos in Kashmir comes in the wake of increasing incidents of encounters with terrorists.

BACKGROUND:

The NSG was raised in 1984 to flush out terrorists. There are around 14,500 personnel currently working with the NSG. Normally, a small NSG team comprises five commandos led by a non-commissioned officer along with bomb experts and crack marksman.

The commandos use sophisticated weapons including Heckler and Koch MP5 sub-machine guns, sniper rifles, through-the-wall radar and C-4 explosives to eliminate holed-up terrorists without causing much damage to the structure.

The NSG commandos were deployed to tackle the terrorists who carried out the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, January 2016 terror attack at the Pathankot air base as well as eliminating the terrorists who attacked the Akshardham temple in Gujarat.

So far, at least 60 incidents of terrorist violence have taken place in Jammu and Kashmir since January this year, killing 15 security personnel and 17 terrorists.