In a first, women team inducted into CRPF's CoBRA commando unit

New Delhi, Feb 8: In a first, a maiden contingent of 34 CRPF women personnel were inducted into the specialized jungle warfare commando force called ' CoBRA '. The contingent would now be deployed in the anti-naxal operations grid of India.

 

The Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was raised under the CRPF in 2009 for undertaking intelligence-based jungle warfare operations. It has been an all-male affair for this unit till now. It is a special operation unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) of India.

 

The operation unit is skilled in guerrilla tactics and jungle warfare. The commandos of the CoBRA are required to be mentally and physically tough. The majority of CoBRA teams, whose commandos are expected to have tough mental and physical attributes, are deployed in various Maoist violence-affected states while a few are based in the northeastern states for undertaking counter-insurgency operations.

 

Currently, there are ten battalions of CoBRA. It is the first time a contingent of women personnel has been inducted into it. The induction of the first women CoBRA Unit was marked by a ceremony that was held in Kadarpur village. In the ceremony, the chosen women personnel performed the combat drills.

 

A member of 34 CRPF women personnel contingent has been selected from 6 all-women battalions of CRPF. They will now undergo pre-induction training for 3 months. After that, they will be deployed with the units in Naxal violence-affected districts in the state of Chhattisgarh.

 

CRPF, with a strength of about 3.25 lakh personnel, is the largest Central Armed Police Force in India. The force works under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). It assists the State or Union Territories in the police operations to maintain the law & order and counter-insurgency. It was established as the Crown Representative’s Police in July 1939. After Indian Independence, it was renamed as CRPF in accordance with the CRPF Act.