900 BSF personnel being withdrawn from Rajouri, Poonch

The BSF is withdrawing six companies comprising nearly 900 men from the border districts of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu and Kashmir, a police officer said today.

"Six companies of the Border Security Forces (BSF) comprising nearly 900 men are under withdrawal. Some of the companies have already shifted out of Sunderbani in-depth areas in Rajouri," the officer said.

By middle of the month, the BSF troops will move out of the counter-insurgency grid in Rajouri, he said, adding that the security apparatus will now be left to the police.

However, villagers in remote and mountainous areas of Noushera sector have protested the move citing threat from militants in the area, which has several infiltration routes from across the border.

The army has already ordered withdrawal of the 39th mountain division, consisting of about 15,000 personnel, from the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch and the process is expected to be completed by the year end.

Some battalions of the division called advance parties have moved to Palampur in Himachal Pradesh. The division was shifted from Palampur to Rajouri and Poonch districts in 1994 to assist joint security grid in conducting counter insurgency operations and to foil infiltration bids.