Jammu & Kashmir Police and Special Operation Group (SOG) personnel during a counter-terror operation following a terrorist attack on an Indian Army convoy, in Kathua district.
Credit: PTI photo
Srinagar: In order to quell the surge in terror attacks in Jammu, the Army has mobilised 37 additional Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) to enhance regional security.
These new deployments aim to ensure a swift and effective response to terror incidents, preventing terrorists from escaping as they have in the past.
On July 8, five soldiers were killed when terrorists ambushed an Army convoy in Badnota village, Kathua district.
Over the past month, five terror attacks have occurred across four districts in Jammu: Reasi, Doda, Kathua, and Rajouri. The increase in attacks, particularly below the Pir Panjal range, has heightened concerns among security establishments. Sources indicate that the 37 additional QRTs have been strategically positioned in all 10 districts of Jammu.
These teams consist of highly trained soldiers proficient in warfare and rapid response tactics.
“These QRTs will also participate in specific anti-terror operations,” sources said, emphasising that terrorists have frequently managed to escape after launching ambushes and causing casualties among troops in recent years.
The timely action of these QRTs is crucial for trapping and eliminating terrorists on the spot, significantly boosting the region's security and response capabilities.
Foreign terrorists operating in the forest and hilly areas of Jammu are believed to be highly trained and armed with advanced weapons, including M4 rifles used by US forces. Security agencies suspect that some of these terrorists are retired Pakistani soldiers.
“These terrorists, trained in the mountains of Pakistan and Afghanistan, carry out sudden attacks on security forces and then disappear into rugged and hilly terrains, which pose little challenge to them,” sources added.