Hyderabad: Even as the Government and the Armed Forces, time and time again, claim the overall internal security and law and order situation in the country remain under control, China's increased military aggression, Pakistan-promoted cross-border terrorism and spate of targetted civilian killings in Jammu & Kashmir and insurgency-related violence in the Northeast states remained a cause of concern in 2021.
The year witnessed some deadliest attacks on security forces and also an army operation that went horribly wrong in Nagaland.
On April 3, an intelligence-based operation by security forces aimed at cornering dreaded Maoist leader Madvi Hidma, unfortunately, turned out to be a meticulously planned trap that resulted in heavy casualties for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the state police along Chhatisgarh's Sukma-Bijapur border. Twenty-two security personnel were killed and 31 others were injured in a fierce gun battle with Maoists that broke out between Tekalguda and Jonaguda villages.
Constable Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, of the 210th battalion of CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action), who was taken captive by the Maoists after the encounter, was released five days later.
In another incident, in the early hours of June 27, two explosives-laden drones crashed into the high-security Indian Air Force (IAF) station at Jammu airport within a gap of six minutes. Though a few incidents of Pakistan-sponsored armed drones being neutralised by the security forces had been reported in the past, this was the first instance of Pakistan-based terrorists deploying unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to strike a vital military installation in India. The use of a drone to mount a high-impact terror attack was a new challenge for the security agencies.
Officials said two IAF personnel were injured in these explosions. One of the explosions caused minor damage to the roof of a building while the other exploded on the ground. Two days after the attack, the Government handed over the probe into the attack to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
In another major incident, over a century-old boundary dispute between Assam and Mizoram erupted in violent clashes on July 26. Five Assam cops and a civilian were killed and over 50 others including a superintendent of police were injured in firing by Mizoram police and alleged Mizo intruders at the Inner Line Reserve Forest area of Assam's Cachar district along the National Highway 306. The Mizoram Police said that it had fired in self-defence after Assam police personnel attacked it, but the latter said that the autopsy reports of the police personnel showed that sophisticated weapons were used.
Almost four months later, on November 13, Colonel Viplav Tripati, the Commanding Officer of Khuga Battalion of Assam Rifles, his wife and six-year-old son, besides four personnel of the paramilitary force were killed in an ambush in Manipur. Tripathi's convoy was targeted at Sehkan village in Churachandpur district close to the Myanmar border. Soon after the attack, two proscribed militant organisations - the People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the Manipur Naga People's Front (MNPF)- claimed responsibility for the ambush.The incident was the first major attack on security forces in the North-Eastern state since June 4, 2018, when an Army convoy was targeted in Chandel district resulting in the death of 18 personnel.
In a counter-insurgency operation that went terribly wrong, 14 civilians were gunned down and 11 others were injured by security forces in Nagaland's Mon district on December 5. The incident took place between Oting and Tiru villages when some daily-wage workers were returning home in a van from a coal mine. One soldier also died in the tension which followed. Army said that the incident and its aftermath is "deeply regretted" and the unfortunate loss of lives is being investigated at the highest level. The incident drew flak from every quarter across the country.
Again, the Home Ministry data shows 35 personnel of the security forces, including Jammu and Kashmir police, were killed and 86 others were injured in terror-related incidents as of November 15 this year. Minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai provided the abovesaid details while responding to a question in the Lok Sabha on November 30.
