Army, Navy, Air Force Special Forces In Joint Ops In Kashmir ndtv.com

In a major step, the special forces of the Army, Navy and Air Force have been deployed in Kashmir valley to carry out combined counter-terrorism operations. The three special forces, namely the Army’s Para (Special Forces), Navy’s Marine Commandos (MARCOS) and Indian Air Force’s Guards are being deployed in Kashmir valley under the Defence Ministry’s newly-raised Armed Forces Special Operations Division (AFSOD), senior defense sources told ANI. The induction of the joint special troops of the three forces has already started as the Army Para (SF) elements have already been inducted into an area considered to be a traditional terror hotbed near Srinagar, they said.

The elements of the MARCOS and the Guards would also be getting fully inducted into the anti-terrorist operations very soon, they said. Although small teams of Navy’s MARCOS and the IAF’s Guards have been operating in Kashmir valley, this is the first time when the three services would be deployed jointly there. The MARCOS are deployed in and around the Wular lake area while the Garud teams have been operating in the Lolab area and Hajin. The Air Force Special Forces had a very successful stint in Kashmir valley as they managed to eliminate six terrorists in one go in Operation Rakh Hajin for which its Corporal JP Nirala was also awarded the Ashok Chakra posthumously.