Naxal-style IED detected for first time in Kashmir
PTI | Dec 11, 2016, 02.12 PM IST
HIGHLIGHTS
- Security forces have been targeted by a Naxal-style IED attack in J&K
- The first of its kind IED blast was reported on November 4
- IED experts from Institute of IED Management in Pune are sensitising the troops about such attacks.
Paramilitary troopers stand guard at Arwani Bijbehara, south of Srinagar (AFP Photo)
NEW DELHI: For the first time in the decades-old militancy in Kashmir Valley, security forces have been targeted by a Naxal-style IED attack prompting agencies to brace up against the menace that has claimed numerous lives and maimed several troops in Left Wing Extremism hit areas.
Taking the development seriously, the
Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), mainstay for anti-Maoist operations in the country, has rushed a team of its counter-Improvised Explosive Device (IED) experts to train and sensitise its troops, those of the BSF, Jammu and Kashmir Police and others against such blasts trigerred by the notorious 'command-wire' technique.
"This is for the first time...There have been IED attacks against security forces and their convoys in the past but using the command-wire technique was unheard and unseen here.
"This technique till now has been used by Naxals to target security forces in the LWE affected areas," CRPF Director General K Durga Prasad told PTI.
Taking cognisance of the incident, he has asked a team of IED experts, based at the exclusive
Institute of IED Management (IIM) in Pune, to rush to the Kashmir Valley and sensitise the troops as to how to be alert against such deadly attacks.
The first of its kind command-wire IED blast was reported about a month back on the night of November 4 when militants targeted a police bullet-proof 'Rakshak' jeep under the Dadasara Police Station area in Awantipora of Pulwama district, which led to injuries to three police officials.
The police team was rushing to a nearby spot after some gunshots were heard but as they were targeted by the blast, they had to be evacuated and rushed to a nearby hospital.
The blast was trigerred by joining the wires drawn from the IED and when the jeep, plying on the normal 'pucca' road, went over it, the blast severely damaged the entire front and engine portion of the four-wheeler.
"It could have been bad had the blast took place just behind the engine area.This is something new we witnessed.
Taking no chances, we have asked all our units in the Kashmir Valley to prepare and plan against command-wire IEDs now," Prasad said.
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