'71 foreign terrorists active in J&K': CRPF deputes 100 Cobra commandos in Kashmir to tackle Kokernag-like attacks

A senior CRPF official told ETV Bharat that the Cobra commandos will assist other security forces in tackling terrorist attacks especially those taking place in mountainous and dense forest areas of the valley. He said there were at least 111 terrorists active in J&K including 71 foreigners and if need be the commandos would launch an offensive as well. -- Reports ETV Bharat’s Gautam Debroy.

New Delhi:The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has deputed 100 specially trained Cobra commandos in Kashmir to assist the security forces to foil Kokernag-like attacks in future.

A senior CRPF official told ETV Bharat that the Cobra commandos will assist other security forces in tackling terrorist attacks especially those taking place in mountainous and dense forest areas of the valley. “The Cobra commandos will assist the other security agencies. If necessary, the Cobra commandos will also launch an offensive against terrorists,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

The Cobra battalion of CRPF is specially trained in jungle and guerrilla warfare. They are mostly used to counter Naxals. Following the change of strategies of Pakistan-based terrorists to attack security forces from the woods, the government has taken the decision to deploy Cobra commandos.

In one such attack carried out by the Lashkar-e-Toiba terrorists from the dense forest of Kokernag in Anantnag district earlier this month, four security personnel including a Colonel and a major of Army, and a DSP of Jammu and Kashmir lost their lives.

The official said there were at least 111 terrorists including 71 foreigners active in Jammu & Kashmir He said that paramilitary forces have intensified anti-terror operations and patrolling to maintain law and order in the sensitive region. “As of date, 111 terrorists are active in J&K including 71 foreign terrorists and 40 local terrorists,” the official said.

He said that in 2022, 137 terrorists including 55 local terrorists and 82 foreign terrorists were active in the region. Giving details of the operation, the official said that 47 terrorists including nine local terrorists and 38 foreign terrorists have been neutralised so far in 2023.

“In 2022, 187 terrorists were neutralised including 130 local terrorists and 57 foreign terrorists,” the official said. He said that as many as 204 terrorists were apprehended in 2023 as against 373 in 2022.