@Evening: 💪 Centre Beefs Up J&K Border Police Strength To Fight Terror After Poonch, Rajouri Incidents

🪖 Move to curtail terror

The Centre has got into action to strengthen India's anti-infiltration grid and also prevent terror incidents like those in Poonch and Rajouri.

Context: The Union government has approved the creation of more than 600 positions in the Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP).

• To be specific, the nod is for 607 positions in 42 new border police posts in Jammu and Kashmir.

• The new move will see 39 sub-inspectors, 50 assistant sub-inspectors, 88 head constables, and 430 constables hired for the new border police posts.

• This is especially important in the light of recent terror incidents in the areas around Poonch-Rajouri.

• Ten Army soldiers, including four from the Special Forces, have lost their lives in two separate terror incidents.

Recap of Poonch-Rajouri. Recent incidents, one in April and the other in May, have pushed the authorities into action.

• On 20 April, five soldiers of the Indian Army were killed after their truck caught fire while moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in the Rajouri sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

• It was initially believed that the fire was due to a lightining strike; however, later in the evening, the Army released a statement dubbing the incident a terrorist attack.

• We learnt that terrorists had mercilessly opened fire on the soldiers.

• Pakistan-backed Jaish terror group's proxy outfit People’s Anti-Fascist Front claimed responsibility for the attack.

• On 5 May, terrorists detonated an explosive device, killing five Army personnel in an encounter in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.

• Hiding terrorists fired at the approaching forces in a densely forested area with tough terrain, starting an encounter, the Army said.

Countering terror in the area. According to reports, two Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist groups are operating in the Kandi forests of Rajouri since 2021.

• The fact that they have been operating for two about years without being flushed out is a cause for concern.

• The additional posts are expected to improve the counter-infiltration grid and aid in the capture of terrorists who have escaped the first tier of the grid manned by the Army and the Border Security Force.

• With more terrorists moving about the region, the new police officers are expected to strengthen efforts to prevent further incidents.

• Notably, India is set to host a G20 tourism summit in Srinagar from 22 May to 24 May.