Army only for training in naxal-infested areas: AK Antony
'We are there not to fight or engage naxals. At the same time, government has given them (Army) standard operating procedures for self-defence,' says the defence minister.
Defence minister AK Antony today said the army was venturing into the naxal-infested areas of Chhattisgarh only for training and had been provided with guidelines for self-defence while operating in the region.
"We are there not to fight or engage naxals. At the same time, government has given them (Army) standard operating procedures for self-defence," Antony told reporters here, stressing that the purpose of locating Army units in the Narayangarh ranges of Chhattisgarh was not to engage naxals.
"Army is now having presence in some of the areas where they were not present earlier. But it is going into these areas purely on professional grounds. They want more training grounds (as) they are short of firing ranges," he said.
The Minister was responding to queries on rules of engagement which were sought by the Army before stationing its troops in the forest area of Narayangarh ranges.
Over the last two and half decades, the number of field firing ranges available to the Army has shrunk from 104 to 40. The scenario is expected to worsen as the notifications of more such ranges are nearing their expiry dates.