Army to be deployed in hills to thwart terrorist movement

NEW DELHI: After the recent terror strikes, the Centre has decided to deploy Army and paramilitary personnel for patrolling the hills in the Jammu region as security officials suspected that the high spots facing the roads were being used by terrorists to launch their attacks, sources said on Friday.

Instructions have been passed on to the Army by the Defence Ministry and the CRPF by the Union Home Ministry to start deploying personnel at their designated hills in Rajouri, Poonch, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Kathua and Reasi, the sources said,

“The aim is to boost the morale of the local populace, who are feeling unsafe in the wake of a series of terror attacks in Jammu region. The security agencies need to do more than eliminating foreign terrorists,” a source said. People living near the hills feel that they too could become soft targets of terrorists, he added.

According to the ground reports presented to the government, terrorists are found using natural caves in the hills as hideouts, so the troops have been instructed to identify them and carry out operations to eliminate the terrorists from there, the sources said.

They said the hills facing towards roads, which are also used by the Army, paramilitary forces and Jammu & Kashmir police for patrolling, would also be provided security cover. The sources said the forces would now cordon the hilly areas so that the terrorists cannot escape and the ground teams would be supported by modern surveillance devices. Sniffer dog units of the Army are also being deployed there, they added.

Caves used as hideouts

Terrorists use natural caves in the hills as hideouts, so the troops have been instructed to identify them and carry out operations to eliminate the terrorists from there, the sources said.