Security forces have gone back to the drawing board to devise a new strategy and deal with the militants in such a manner that they do not suffer any losses.
Alarmed by the rising casualties, security forces are re-devising their strategy to deal with the militants and avoid fatalities in the counter-terror operations in the restive Jammu and Kashmir.
Eighteen people, including seven soldiers and eight militants, were killed in the last three days in different anti-militancy operations across the Kashmir valley. Fourteen people, including commandant of 45th battalion of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Chetan Cheetah and Major BS Thapa, were left injured.
"In such a situation where proxy war is going on, casualties do happen – sometimes on our side, sometimes on the other side. It's part of the game. We always review our system and do introspection," Dr SP Vaid, Director General of Police, Jammu and Kashmir, told DNA.
Security forces have gone back to the drawing board to devise a new strategy and deal with the militants in such a manner that they do not suffer any losses.
During the review, security forces have found that they have suffered the casualties in the first assault against the militants, given that the element of surprise remained with the opposite side. Security forces are now re-devising their approach to neutralise the militants' surprise element in a bid to avoid damage.
"Most of the times, the casualties have happened in the first push during the operation. It is because the security forces want to wind up the operation quickly during the night to avoid law and order problem as people may try to march to the encounter site in the day," said an officer.
Security forces have been asked to approach carefully to the targeted house or hideout so that the casualties could be avoided. "We have to ensure that not only the militants are neutralised but our men return safely," said another officer.
Security forces have now decided to increase the deployment of law and order component around the sensitive areas near the encounter sites so that they could deal with the stone-pelting mobs which would ultimately left the security forces to concentrate on the militants.
Police said militants are using civilians as human shields in these areas to escape (from the encounter sites). "Basically, in these areas, militants make human shields and try to escape under their cover. If we fire at them and then civilian lives could be lost. We have to see to it also," Sheikh Zulfikar Azad, senior superintendent of police, Bandipora told DNA.
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