A day after the death of five Army personnel in a terrorist ambush in Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has issued a high alert in the region, specifically urging troops to exercise extra caution while moving through and conducting operations in the Rajouri and Poonch areas.
A top official overseeing operations told News18 that the CRPF has advised against “blind trust” in any given input, emphasising the need for thorough verification according to the Standard Operating Procedure.
Troops and officials have been directed to refrain from isolated movements, with a mandate to use bulletproof vehicles to enhance their safety.
“Detailed instructions, outlining dos and don’ts, have been disseminated to all troops and officials regarding movements and operations. The Standard Operating Procedure (SoP) is imperative, and additional instructions have been incorporated based on initial reports of the recent ambush on the Army. Given that terrorists are cowardly targeting troops in isolated places, specific guidelines have been issued to address this threat.”
Senior officers have been assigned the responsibility of closely monitoring all operations, and a shift towards relying on official channels for inputs has been emphasised, diminishing reliance on locally gathered information. This strategic adjustment is intended to bolster the credibility and accuracy of intelligence.
Since the Pulwama attack of February 2019 in which the CRPF lost 40 jawans, heightened scrutiny of movements in J&K has been a priority for senior officers. Poonch, in particular, has presented a formidable challenge, with security forces encountering multiple attacks and facing casualties.
The recent incident has triggered a comprehensive review and revision of protocols governing movements and operations.
Thursday’s attack unfolded around 3:45pm when two army vehicles carrying personnel to the site of a cordon-and-search operation came under attack at a blind curve at Dhatyar Morh between Dhera Ki Gali and Bufliaz under the jurisdiction of the Surankote police station. Five soldiers were killed and two were injured.
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