The Central Government of India has decided to withdraw 100 companies of security forces from occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the Hindustan Times, “The central government decided to withdraw 100 companies of the security forces after a review of security by the Home Ministry.”
According to Indian media reports, the government has decided to withdraw 10,000 troops.
According to the report, “the government has taken this decision to send a message to Kashmiris.”
According to the Home Ministry order, the 100 companies include 40 companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and Shastra Simabal (S). SB) includes 20 companies.
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The decision to withdraw the security forces was finalized after the Indian Home Ministry reviewed the deployment of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPFS) in occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the report, “about 100 CAPF companies have been ordered to immediately withdraw and return to their respective locations in the country.”
It may be recalled that on August 5, 2019, the Indian government had deployed CAPFS in the Occupied Territories after repealing Article 370 of the Constitution, which made Occupied Jammu and Kashmir controversial.
A CAPF company has about 100 personnel, the report said.
The Indian Home Ministry had recalled about 82 CAPF companies from Occupied Jammu and Kashmir in December last year and now it has been decided to withdraw 100 companies, bringing the total to 182 companies back from Occupied Kashmir.
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The report said that 100 companies would return from occupied Jammu and Kashmir by the end of this week.
Even after the withdrawal of 100 companies from Occupied Jammu and Kashmir, there will be about 60 CRPF battalions in the Valley stationed at various locations.
It should be noted that a battalion has about a thousand men.
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According to the report, “This decision has been taken by the Indian government to start development activities in occupied Jammu and Kashmir after the appointment of senior politician Manoj Sinha as Lieutenant Governor.”
“The two measures in a row are not just coincidences but a message to the people that the government wants to allay their concerns,” an official said.
The report said that the deployment of paramilitary forces was aimed at removing 200 highly trained fighters from the region.
“At a meeting last week, the security establishment acknowledged that the number of forces could be reduced, especially after the victory over top commanders over the past year,” he added.
India’s “security forces claim that the public’s response to counter-terrorism operations has also improved.”
Prior to the verdict, a team of security forces visited occupied Jammu and Kashmir on August 15 and held discussions with field commanders to pave the way for the return of the forces.
In his address to the nation at the Red Fort in Delhi before the security team arrived in Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described last year as a milestone in terms of occupied Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh region. Assembly elections were announced.
A senior police officer involved in the operation said, “It was felt that the deployment of the force in Occupied Jammu and Kashmir was disproportionate given the security situation, which could create difficulties for the locals.”
Senior military commanders as well as BSF, CRPF, CISF and other forces were present at the meeting to review the situation.
According to the report, “there was a suggestion that instead of relying too much on check posts in Srinagar and other areas, the security establishment in the valley should install technology to target terrorists.”
Similarly, the security forces have also been directed to conduct more night patrols in Kulgam, Anantnag and Baramulla districts to curb the movement of terrorists.