The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has decided to withdraw its elite anti-Maoist Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) force from Jammu and Kashmir due to objections raised by some senior officials within the paramilitary force, according to sources.
CoBRA, known for its specialized training in countering Maoists in jungle warfare, was deployed for the first time in the Union territory in mid-September. However, dissent arose within the CRPF ranks regarding its deployment in Kashmir, as some senior officers argued that the unit’s training and expertise were tailored for combating Maoists, not the unique challenges of Kashmir.
The CRPF, with its substantial force of over 3 lakh personnel, plays a pivotal role in internal security combat and has been extensively deployed in Jammu and Kashmir for counter-terrorism operations.
Earlier this year, some CoBRA companies were relocated from Bihar and Jharkhand to receive additional training in Kashmir, following a decline in Maoist violence in these states. After three months of specialized training, they were deployed in the Union territory. However, this move did not sit well with certain senior officers who maintained that the Maoist threat was far from over.
Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand have collectively accounted for more than 70 percent of Maoist violence in the country over recent years. In a tragic incident in April 2021, 22 security personnel lost their lives in an ambush by rebels within a forest in Chhattisgarh. This marked one of the most significant casualties suffered by security forces at the hands of Maoists since April 2017, when 25 CRPF personnel were killed in an ambush in Sukma, Chhattisgarh.
The CoBRA force was established in 2008, with a strength of 10,000 personnel, under the command and control of the CRPF to combat the Maoist insurgency. This elite force received specialized training in Maoist intelligence techniques and strategy. CoBRA teams have been deployed across regions affected by Maoist violence.
Headquartered in the National Capital Region, the CoBRA force has battalion headquarters in each Naxalite-hit state, including Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
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